HARRISBURG – At least 20 percent of Pennsylvania’s gas stations had at least one pump with an outdated or missing inspection decal, and none of the gas pumps under the state’s jurisdiction are inspected by the Department of Agriculture to verify their octane rating, according to a report released by Auditor General Jack Wagner.
“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.
While there was no evidence that drivers were shortchanged, the failure of the commonwealth to properly operate the inspection program does increase the potential for consumer fraud, Wagner said.
To protect consumers, Wagner dispatched 36 auditors to visit gas stations in all 67 counties during a two-week period in August, when fuel prices were at or near their highest. Auditors inspected 15,767 fuel pumps at 2,110 gas stations and examined 23,341 dated inspection decals to see if inspections were up to date.
Auditors found that 281 of the 1,358 gas stations under the state’s jurisdiction had at least one pump with an outdated inspection decal or no decal at all. By comparison, only 13 percent of the 731 gas stations under county jurisdiction, and 19 percent of the 21 stations under city jurisdiction, had outdated or missing decals.
The Department of Agriculture is required by state law to annually inspect pumps under its jurisdiction. However, the law does not require inspections to ensure proper octane levels. Wagner said that accurate octane levels are becoming increasingly important because more automobiles, including mid-priced brands, require premium fuel for their engines.
Wagner’s audit cited insufficient manpower as a major problem in keeping up with the current inspection requirements. It noted that, at the time of the audit, the Department of Agriculture had only 17 full-time and seven part- time inspectors to cover 44 counties, and that those inspectors had numerous other duties unrelated to gas pump inspections. The program was further hindered by inadequate inspection equipment and an inadequate information database.
Wagner noted that Pennsylvania is one of only four states – Alaska, Nebraska, and Ohio are the others – in which inspectors do not verify posted octane ratings. He said that state law must be changed to require octane testing and that the Department of Agriculture should consider pursuing that option.
Ted Leonard, executive director of Pennsylvania AAA Federation, said his organization supports state testing of gasoline quality.
“Motorists have a right to know that the octane they are paying for is the octane they are receiving,” Leonard said. “Moreover, bad gasoline has caused expensive vehicle damage.”
Wagner made 10 recommendations to improve the inspection program. In addition to considering implementing octane inspections, other key recommendations included:
– Increasing resources and funding for the inspection division.
– Purchasing more test trailers to improve the efficiency and the safety of field inspectors.
– Upgrading the Department of Agriculture database.
– Educating consumers about monitoring their transactions at gas pumps and reporting problems to the Department of Agriculture.
Wagner commended Gov. Rendell and the Agriculture Department for their recent announcement, prior to the release of this important audit, that they would hire more inspectors and upgrade equipment.
“The immediate action taken as a result of our audit findings is a clear indication of the administration’s concern about correcting these problems,” Wagner said.
He added: “These steps were necessary and long overdue. For the sake of Pennsylvania consumers, we must work together to make sure that these promises lead to timelier inspections and greater assurances that the amount of gas we pay for is the amount of gas we receive.”
