Ohio is one of only three states in the nation that doesn’t test the quality of gas that drivers purchase at the pumps. There’s a bill in the Ohio Legislature that would change that.
Every year, county auditors check pumps to make sure drivers are getting the correct quantity of gas, but they don’t test the quality of it. Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds says consumers often don’t get what they are paying for.
“They’re filling up. They think they are getting a gallon of gasoline and that it is a quality gallon of gasoline and in reality, what they’re finding is it’s bad gas," Reynolds says.
The bill enjoys bipartisan support. Rep. Brigid Kelly (D-Cincinnati), one of the sponsors of the legislation, says “This bill is about consumer protection— when people go to fill up their gas tanks, they need to know that they are getting what they paid for.”
This bill doesn’t mandate that the county auditors test fuel but those who want to do it would have the authority. Backers say it won’t cost taxpayers anything and that counties that choose to do this can easily purchase inexpensive testing equipment. This legislation would allow county auditors and the Department of Agriculture to test for octane levels, sediment, and water levels in fuel.
Ohio is one of three states including Alaska and Nebraska that do not currently test for fuel quality. Some Ohio counties are testing for quality though. Cuyahoga and Summit counties already test for fuel quality based on local governance.
Copyright 2021 The Statehouse News Bureau
