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• ATRI : Pot and Driving Pose Safety Challenge
• Motor Fuel Marketers Oppose EPA ’ s RIN Proposal
• N . Y . State Coalition Launches Effort to Expand Route 17
FUELS / EIA – pg 10
• EIA Short-Term Energy Outlook
• EIA Expects Stable Biofuels Production , Consumption , Trade Through 2020
BUSINESS OPERATIONS – pg 15
• Atlas Oil Offers Emergency Fuel Service
• Fred Lord Joins Cetane Associates
� ATRI : POT PLUS DRIVING
POSES SAFETY CHALLENGE
With more states legalizing both recreational and medical marijuana , professional truck drivers are more likely to be sharing the roadway with car drivers operating under the influence of marijuana , the American Transportation Research Institute said upon releasing research on the subject .
ATRI said its research sought to document the most promising methods to identify and deter marijuanaimpaired driving .
The study recommends :
Increased data collection on the frequency and impacts of marijuanaimpaired driving
Public education and information on the risks of impaired driving
Better equipping law enforcement and the court system to intercept and ultimately prosecute impaired drivers
Targeting tax revenue generated from marijuana sales to fund these activities .
“ It is extremely concerning to motor carriers and our drivers that recreational marijuana is legal in so many states , yet as the ATRI report documents , a valid and widely accepted breathalyzer-type test is not available to law enforcement ,” Mike Card , Combined Transport , Inc . president said in a March 13 statement issued along with the report . “ ATRI ’ s study clearly defines a role for federal and state leaders to support law enforcement and others in keeping the roadways safe from those who choose to drive high .”
The report highlights the importance of training law enforcement to identify and collect evidence of marijuana-impaired driving , particularly through the development of more drug recognition experts . “ As ATRI ’ s research identifies , a key tool for combating drugged drivers is deploying additional drug recognition experts ,” said Mark Savage , deputy chief of the Colorado State Patrol . “ A drug recognition expert can bring critical evidence to prosecutors that other tests simply cannot measure .”
ATRI is the trucking industry ’ s 501 ( c )( 3 ) not-for-profit research organization . It is engaged in research relating to freight transportation ’ s role in maintaining a safe , secure and efficient transportation system .
� MOTOR FUEL MARKETERS OPPOSE EPA ’ S RIN
PROPOSAL
Motor fuel marketers criticized the Environmental Protection Agency ’ s proposed regulations that would reform the market for Renewable Identification Numbers .
The proposed changes to the market for RINs , which are the “ credits ” that EPA uses to ensure that refiners satisfy their obligations under the Renewable Fuel Standard ( RFS ), would create chaos in the RIN market and reduce incentives for fuel retailers to incorporate renewable fuels into the fuel supply , the marketer groups said . The groups include NATSO , the national association representing truckstops and travel plazas , the National Association of Convenience Stores and the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America .
EPA admits that it has not seen any “ data-based evidence ” of RIN market manipulation that would necessitate these reforms , the groups said in a statement .
“ EPA ’ s proposal would remove many existing incentives to sell biofuels and would act as a penalty for fuel marketers that want to blend those fuels ,” NATSO Vice President of Government Affairs David Falco said in the March 12 statement . “ The ‘ reforms ’ that EPA is exploring were conceived by the same refining companies that for years have been trying to undercut the RFS in order to avoid investing in renewable fuels . The changes are not designed to ‘ enhance RIN transparency ’ but rather to depress demand for biofuels so that a small subset of refiners can spend as little as possible to meet their obligations .”
“ While these reforms are supposed to limit volatility and ‘ improve transparency ’ in the RIN market , they would generate more problems than solutions ,” said Paige Anderson , NACS director of government relations . “ Allowing E15 to be sold year-round is only helpful if retailers still have an incentive to sell it — and this proposal takes that incentive away .”
“ If enacted as proposed , the ‘ reforms ’ could disrupt and distort the RIN market , ultimately undermining the purpose of the RFS ,” said Eva Rigamonti , counsel to SIGMA . “ Rather than push this counterproductive proposal , EPA could mitigate RIN market volatility while incentivizing the blending and sale of more renewable fuels by implementing the RFS in a transparent and predictable fashion .”
NATSO is the trade association of the U . S . travel plaza and truckstop industry .
NACS represents the U . S . convenience store industry , with more than 153,000 stores nationwide selling fuel , food and merchandise .
SIGMA represents approximately 260 independent chain retailers and marketers of motor fuel .
Together , NATSO , NACS , and SIGMA represent approximately 90 % of retail sales of motor fuel in the United States .
� NY STATE COALITON LAUNCHES EFFORT TO
EXPAND ROUTE 17
A coalition representing more than 100 stakeholders assembled in Albany , N . Y ., to launch a campaign for expanding Route 17 in Orange and Sullivan counties .
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