By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today
Motorists may get some relief at the pumps if the federal government green lights a plea from Kentucky lawmakers to stop selling reformulated gasoline in Northern Kentucky and Louisville.
Sean Alteri, head of Kentucky’s Division for Air Quality, said the average gas price last month in Cincinnati was about 15 cents lower than just across the Ohio River in Covington.
Speaking Thursday before the General Assembly’s Interim Joint Committee on Natural Resources & Energy, Alteri said gas stations in Cincinnati, despite being separated by a river only 400 yards wide, have gained an unfair economic advantage because they are no longer required to sell a type of low-emissions gas.
The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet sent a letter to the federal government on April 18 asking that the Northern Kentucky counties of Boone, Campbell and Kenton be exempt from selling more expensive reformulated gas.
“There have been significant improvements in conventional gasoline,” Alteri said. “There is just a marginal difference in between the emissions from reformulated gas and conventional gas. Conventional gas has gotten so much cleaner.”
Alteri
Alteri said he was “confident” the request would be approved, in part, because similar requests were approved under the prior administration of President Barack Obama for Columbus, Ohio; Charlotte, North Carolina and Memphis, Tennessee.
Rep. Jeffery Donohue, D-Fairdale, asked Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet Secretary Charles G. Snavely if he also planned to seek an exemption for Jefferson County, another region with reformulated gas.
“We are working with district officials to determine whether it would be an appropriate strategy,” said Snavely.
That could be a more difficult sell for the state, as an Air Quality Alert was issued through Saturday night for Jefferson, Bullitt and Oldham counties in Kentucky, as well as Floyd and Clark counties in southern Indiana.
Ozone levels through mid-weekend are forecast to be unhealthy for sensitive groups, such as seniors, children and people with respiratory problems such as COPD.
Alteri said he would update legislators when he gets a response to the petition from federal regulators.
