The Members Only section of the ASA Web site (www.asashop.org) features extensive tracking of state legislation. Beginning this week, the state legislation section has been expanded to include the tracking of state regulatory issues.
The regulatory section includes information about current state regulatory hearings and proposed regulations that have a direct impact on automotive service businesses. This provides ASA members a better opportunity to comment and participate in their state's regulatory proceedings. The regulatory issues, which are updated weekly, are divided into collision and mechanical issues. To gain access to the Members Only area, enter your six-digit ASA member number into both the name and password fields when prompted. You may find your member number in the top left corner of your AutoInc. mailing label.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) amended its Tier 2 gasoline sulfur regulations to include more areas to be regulated under the rule. The intent is to ensure a smooth transition to lower sulfur nationwide and prepare for possible gasoline shortages. The areas to be covered under this rule include Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
A group of bipartisan lawmakers from California are going to introduce legislation to exempt California from federal reformulated gasoline requirements. The group includes Republican Reps. Darrell Issa and Christopher Cox, and Democratic Reps. Anna Eshoo and Gary Condit. The legislators believe the state already has a strict standard for clean-burning fuel and the bill will give California the flexibility to impose the state standards. This bill comes just after President George W. Bush decided to deny California's request for a waiver from the federal oxygenate requirement.
By a vote of 99-0, the U.S. Senate passed legislation to promote the cleanup and reuse of lightly contaminated abandoned plots of land called brownfields. The bill will give grants to local governments and redevelopment agencies to improve industrial waste sites. For fiscal years 2002-2006, the bill increases spending from $92 million to $200 million per year for local governments to inventory, assess and clean up brownfield sites.
There is speculation that underground storage tanks are solely responsible for ground water contamination caused by methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE). Owners of the tanks are trying to prevent the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from imposing strict new standards. The EPA stated it will give the new standards serious consideration once its study of the effectiveness of upgraded tanks is complete.
A bipartisan group of eight senators urged President George W. Bush not to ease rising gas prices by repealing or suspending the 18.4 cents per gallon gasoline tax. In a letter to President Bush, the group argued that doing away with the gas tax would not ease rising prices. They also argued that the money from the federal gas tax is needed to build roads and bridges. Sens. Harry Reid, D-Nev.; John Warner, R-Va.; George Voinovich, R-Ohio; Max Baucus, D-Mont.; Lincoln Chafee, R-R.I.; Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y.; Thomas Carper, D-Del.; and Jon Corzine, D-N.J, signed the letter.
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AutoInc. Magazine ® Vol.XLIX, August 2001
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Copyright © 2001 Automotive Service Association (ASA). All rights reserved.