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HOUSE FAILS TO GET VOTES TO OVERRIDE SCHIP VETO
On Oct. 25, with a vote of 265-142, the House of Representatives again passed their updated SCHIP legislation, but the votes were not enough for a veto-proof margin--despite changes made by Democrats to garner additional Republican support for the bill. Forty-three Republicans joined 222 Democrats in voting for the measure. President Bush vetoed the original bill (H.R. 976) on Oct. 3, which is the predecessor of the revised bill--H.R. 3963. Following this last vote, House Democratic leaders said they would continue to try to find a compromise with GOP opponents of the measure. The contentious issue in the bill is its funding mechanism—a 61 cents per pack tax increase on cigarettes.
STILL NO ENERGY CONFERENCE
This week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) was unable to gain consent to move to a conference on the energy bill. The move was blocked by Senate Republicans. Reid was attempting to bring up the House-passed energy bill (H.R. 3221), substitute the text of the Senate-passed version (H.R. 6), call for a conference with the House, and appoint conferees. Reid said he and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) have not given up on the idea of convening a formal House-Senate conference, even though time is running short in the session to reconcile two widely varying energy bills.
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AUTOMATIC TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION DEBATE
At the Southern Weights and Measures Association (SWMA) meeting in Little Rock, AR, this week, it was decided to recommend that NCWM separate Automatic Temperature Compensation (ATC) proposals into two categories. One category would mandate the use of ATC at retail locations (truckstops and cardlocks) where dispensers deliver fuel 30 gallons per minute or more. The other category would encompass gas station/convenience stores with smaller dispensing ratios. For this category, SWMA recommended that the NCWM ATC Steering Committee lead or coordinate a study top determine if the cost/benefit justifies the implementation of ATC. Both the North Eastern Weights and Measures Association (NEWMA) and the Central Weights and Measures Association (CWMA) called for additional research before taking action. The Western Weights and Measures Association (WWMA) recommended the NCWM adopt the proposed regulatory changes to authorize ATC at retail.
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CAP AND TRADE MEASURE GAINS MORE MOMENTUM
Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) announced Oct. 24 that he will throw his support behind the leading Senate bill to cap U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, a decision that could ensure the measure can clear both the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and its global warming subcommittee on the way to the Senate floor. The bill, introduced Oct. 18, by Sens. Joseph Lieberman (I/D-CT) and John Warner (R-VA) aims to place mandatory curbs on U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The proposal already has three Republican co-sponsors in addition to Warner. The Lieberman-Warner bill calls for freezing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at 2005 levels in 2012 and then gradually cutting emissions to 70 percent below those levels by 2050. The bill initially would give away emissions allowances, or credits, to industry, but that free distribution would be gradually phased out over the next several decades in favor of an auction.
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GROUPS WANT TO REDUCE LEAD IN JET FUEL
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking comments on a petition filed by Friends of the Earth to ban or reduce the amount of lead in gasoline used in piston-powered aircraft in general aviation. The agency wants comments on the lead exposure levels and environmental impact near airports, on the potential for replacement fuels such as regular unleaded gasoline, the prospects for developing a high-performance unleaded aviation gasoline, and the availability of additives less toxic than lead. The petition was filed by Bluewater Network, a division of Friends of the Earth. EPA is announcing in a Federal Register notice to be published Oct. 24 that it will accept comments on the petition through Feb. 21, 2008.
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SIGMA SHARE GROUP
Mark your calendars for the Mobile Refueling/Fleet Fueling and Cardlock Share Group scheduled for December 5-6, 2007, in Kansas City, MO! The Share Group will be held at the Embassy Suites—Historic Plaza Area. Topics to be covered at the two-day meeting include: cardlock sales development; truck automation; dispatch/route optimization; site selection and development; site maintenance; telemarketing and team collaboration. Plus, there will plenty of time for peer to peer sharing. Go to www.sigma.org for more information or click on the “Share Group” link.
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ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS WARN OF HASTY BIOFUELS DECISIONS
On Oct. 24, biofuels industry representatives told the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming that investing heavily in ethanol and other renewable fuels is key to helping the United States reduce dependence on foreign oil and fight global climate change. Alternatively, the Natural Resources Defense Council said that while biofuels offer considerable promise, proper safeguards are needed to avoid harming the environment. Groups maintain that without adequate guidelines, large-scale biofuels production carries grave risks to our lands, forests, water, wildlife, public health, and climate. In similar news, representatives of the Clean Air Task Force urged Congress to reconsider its energy policies before ramping up the use of biofuels, citing adverse effects that could be caused by it. The group used the European Union as an example, pointing out higher greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and other land use changes—a result of their biofuels policies. The Clean Air Task Force report is the latest in a series of reports released by research and environmental groups warning of the environmental dangers of ethanol production, especially from corn and soybeans.
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GROUPS WANT COMMENT PERIOD RE: ETHANOL
The National Association of Clean Air Agencies and six environmental groups sent a letter to the leadership of congressional energy committees this week, urging them to require public notice and comment before the Environmental Protection Agency can approve an increase in the amount of ethanol allowed in gasoline. In their letter, the organizations specifically urged legislators to include provisions approved in August as part of the House energy bill (H.R. 3221) that would require EPA to subject a petition to public notice and comment before taking action on it-- the same enforcement and judicial review requirements as all other provisions of the Clean Air Act. The energy bill (H.R. 6), approved by the Senate in June, did not include these provisions. If approved, this bill would require a large increase in the use of ethanol and other biofuels in line with President Bush's call for a 20 percent reduction in gasoline consumption by 2017. The letter also called for a study to provide further information on the effects of higher levels of ethanol in gasoline (a provision included in the House bill --H. R. 3221) since little data exist on the impact of mid-level ethanol blends on emissions, air quality, public health, or safety. In that bill, EPA would conduct the study. The Senate bill also calls for a study, but does not mark EPA to conduct it.
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REMINDER: FILL OUT THE ANNUAL MEETING EVALUATION
Now that you are back in your office and things have settled down from your travel, SIGMA would greatly appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to fill out the survey for the 2007 Annual Meeting that was just held in Boston, Massachusetts. While your memories of the Annual Meeting are still fresh in your mind, please CLICK HERE and it will take you right to the first page of the online evaluation. The survey will become unavailable on Thursday, November 15, so please complete it as soon as possible! The time you take today to complete the survey will allow us to provide better programs for you in the future! Contact the SIGMA office if you have any questions.
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2008 EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
Make plans to join your colleagues in Snowbird, Utah on February 10-13 for the 2008 Executive Leadership Conference! The conference will be held at the Cliff Lodge Hotel. Nestled in the heart of Snowbird, The Cliff Lodge is one of four slopeside lodging properties at the resort. With ski-in, ski-out accessibility, The Cliff Lodge is considered the flagship resort of the mountain! The Cliff Lodge completed a $5.6 million renovation project in 2006 and now offers everything you want in a resort! Amenities include: completely re-vamped rooms with new furnishings, flat-screen televisions, bathroom tile, fixtures, art and free wireless internet access. Additionally, the resort offers two heated pools, four hot tubs, steam rooms, dry saunas, the Cliff Spa, an exercise room, three restaurants, two lounges, a concierge service, an on-site ski shop and more! Please visit www.sigma.org for registration forms and hotel accommodation information. With education alliance partners National Petroleum News and OPIS, there will be several industry speakers proving great insight on how to make your business thrive! You won’t want to miss it! Kick off the year right by attending this ever-popular meeting! Call the SIGMA office with any questions: 703-709-7000.
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CALL FOR EDUCATION IDEAS
Want to know more about a particular subject? What do you need to know to remain competitive? SIGMA is currently looking for meeting education session topics and speaker ideas as well as keynote speaker ideas. Please send a few ideas along with an engaging speaker or company who might deliver the topic to Altreca Stark at astark@sigma.org. Thank you for your ideas!
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SIGMA Weekly Report October 29, 2007 © Copyright SIGMA, 2007
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