AREA PETROLEUM MARKETERS ENCOURAGED TO BE ACTIVE PUBLICALLY

Area members of the Missouri Petroleum Marketers Association were urged Tuesday to be politically active in order to protect themselves from increasing state and federal regulations.

Neal Gibbons of Hayti, a member of the association's board of directors and past president of the group, said that he prefers life as a businessman, not as a lobbyist.

"I don't want to do this. I want to just run my business," observed Gibbons. But over the last two years, he noted, more money has been diverted from his business to meet state and federal regulations.

"It takes a lot of money to be in business ... politics is part of that expense," he added. "If we don't take care of ourselves, nobody else will."

Tuesday's meeting was one in a series of regional meetings being held by the marketers association around the state for members and legislators.

The group was brought up to date on both state and federal legislation that is being considered. Those in attendance were also given information on how to comply with current regulations that are focused on environmental protection.

Several members commented at the meeting they felt taking steps to maintain clear air and water is very important, but they complained they were being overburdened with regulations that were costly and difficult to understand.

"All the rules and regulations they throw at us are getting serious," said Gibbons, who added that some of the regulations are issued from Washington, D.C., before anyone in this region realizes what has happened.

Another common complaint was that the Missouri Department of Natural Resources is not consistent in its enforcement of regulations, and that DNR inspectors did not fully understand the regulations they were supposed to check on.

One area of discussion was the state's new underground tank insurance fund law, which was passed by the General Assembly last spring but has not yet been implemented by DNR.

Clark Houghton of Osage Beach, regional vice president of the Petroleum Marketers Association of America, said the association's underground tank advisory committee had been meeting with DNR and is hoping to help get the program operating soon and within the guidelines called for by the legislation.

Houghton said he is optimistic DNR staff will listen to the concerns of the association.

"Any marketer sitting at this table could be bankrupt by the end of the year with just one leak," complained Bob Blank of Bi State Oil Co. in Cape Girardeau. "This is a powder keg waiting to blow."

Blank said it is odd that the revenue source - a $25 per tanker load charge - had taken effect Tuesday, yet there was still no insurance program in place for the stations.

Deidra Herzog, a lobbyist for the association in Jefferson City, warned that since DNR may have difficulty getting additional money from the legislature, it may try to raise funds by increasing its emphasis on fines and penalties.

She also advised the group that with worker's compensation insurance premiums having climbed 30 percent in 18 months, an interim committee is studying the issue. In addition, Herzog said a plan will be promoted next year to increase the state's gasoline tax by 5 to 6 cents, with 1 cent of that earmarked for mass transit.

Both Herzog and Houghton stressed that the priority legislation for next year, at both the state and federal levels, will be restrictions on the ability of major refiners to charge higher prices to their wholesale customers than they sell it for at retail prices in company-operated stations.

They noted the key to getting the legislation passed, and heading off a major lobbying effort from the big oil companies, was taking the time to sit down with senators and representatives to educate them on the problem.

Area legislators attending the session were state Reps. David Schwab, R-Jackson, and Ollie Amick, D-Scott City, and Sen. John Dennis, D-Benton. Greg Branum attended on behalf of U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson, and Tom Schulte represented Sens. Christopher Bond and John Danforth.