Penn. finds gas-pump inspection lapses

Penn. finds gas-pump inspection lapses

	Published : Tue, 30 Jan 2007 21:49 By : Agencies Print this Story

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AFX) - The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture failed to keep gas-pump inspections current for about one-fifth of the gas stations it regulates, state Auditor General Jack Wagner said Tuesday.

An audit during a two-week period in August found that 281 of the 1,358 gas stations under the state's jurisdiction had one or more pumps with an outdated inspection decal or no sticker, Wagner said. About 13 percent of 731 gas stations under county jurisdiction and 19 percent of 21 gas stations under city jurisdiction had outdated or missing stickers.

Although the audit found no evidence that drivers were shortchanged, Wagner said the lapsed inspections increased the potential for consumer fraud.

'The commonwealth's failure to inspect gas pumps as required raises legitimate concerns about whether Pennsylvania drivers are getting what they pay for, especially those paying for higher grades of gasoline with higher octane ratings,' Wagner said.

The Agriculture Department is responsible for inspecting the accuracy of gas pumps in 44 of the state's 67 counties through its weights and measures program.

The audit attributed the lag in timely inspections to inadequate staffing and inspection equipment, as well as the lack of a comprehensive database on inspections. At the time of the audit, the department had only 17 full-time and seven part-time inspectors, all of whom also had other duties, Wagner said.

In a written response to the audit, state Agriculture Secretary Dennis C. Wolff noted that Gov. Ed Rendell announced a plan in December to improve the weights and measures program. The plan calls for hiring 22 full-time inspectors and other workers and installing a new system to track inspections, among other things.

The department is in the midst of hiring the new employees and expects to finish in the coming weeks, said John Dillabaugh, director of the department's bureau of ride and measurement standards.

Wolff said the plan will help his department deal aggressively with gas pump inspections.

Wagner also urged state lawmakers to pass a law to require that gas-pump inspections include the testing of octane levels.

The report said Pennsylvania, Alaska, Nebraska and Ohio are the only states that do not require octane tests. Octane tests can verify that consumers who purchase higher-grade gasoline get what they pay for.