From Deseret News archives:
Huntsman says state to monitor gas prices
Utah now rates 3rd in the nation for high fees for fuel
Huntsman said the state Department of Agriculture and Food and the state Department of Commerce were evaluating the matter.
"Gas prices are hitting everyone hard," the governor said in a news release Wednesday. "As the rest of the country is seeing some relief from exorbitant gas prices, gas retailers in Utah have not shown Utahns a commensurate decrease at the pumps here at home.
"We are asking these state agencies to monitor the situation within their enforcement powers to make sure Utahns are not being taken advantage of," Huntsman said.
The governor's office has not launched a formal investigation but said Huntsman wants retailers and consumers to be aware that the state is watching.
"In general, the goal is we want Utahns to know the state is concerned with the price," said Huntsman's spokeswoman, Lisa Roskelley.
The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food already monitors gas-station pumps to ensure that they properly measure gas and that the gas that comes out of the pump is as advertised, including its octane level, said department spokesman Larry Lewis.
"We're going to be making sure the consumer is getting every penny they pay for at the gas pump," he said.
The number of complaints his department is receiving about pump accuracy is on the rise: The department received 46 consumer complaints from January to June of this year, compared with 50 in all of 2007. About 15 percent of the complaints are legitimate, he said, but his department has found no intentional wrongdoing on the part of gas stations.
"Ninety-seven percent of the 28,000 pumps are operating properly. When we find one that's out of adjustment, we have the station fix it, and they do," Lewis said.
Pricing, he said, is outside the department's responsibility, and that won't change.
Lee Peacock, president of the Utah Petroleum Association, said his group welcomes "any reasonable level of scrutiny into the way business is done here."
Recent comments
Oooooooooooooo...the state is watching! We want you to know the State...
AC | Aug. 15, 2008 at 2:27 p.m.
I am a former Utahn with lots of famaily in the state but now live...
very ticked-off | Aug. 15, 2008 at 12:22 p.m.
How do you monitor greed?
Question.... | Aug. 14, 2008 at 8:47 p.m.
- Fire damages Taylorsville home 3:25 p.m.
- Concert to benefit Ugandan children 3:22 p.m.
- Senate committee approves Voros 3:21 p.m.
- Mya tops fellow celebs 3:16 p.m.
- Stocks zigzag after rally 2:53 p.m.
- Placebo power behind cures 2:49 p.m.
- 'Suspect just shopping screenplay' 2:49 p.m.
- '08 loss 'learning experience' for TCU 2:47 p.m.
- AMA: repeal 'don't ask,don't tell' 2:46 p.m.
- Jackson's executors approved 2:43 p.m.
- Utah group finds homes for orphans
- Pratt pleads not guilty to sex charges
- Jazz blow big lead, hang on
- Senators want food tax restored
- Y. tight ends talented tandem
- Utes get extra motivation
- Alta's Ohai is Ms. Soccer 2009
- BYU soccer incident still popular
- Lobo land like home for BYU lineman
- Price injured; Miles has cast removed
- House passes health care bill
245 - TCU showdown has big implications
185 - Lobo suspended
184 - Cougars crush hapless Cowboys
155 - Senators want food tax restored
137 - Utah Jazz fall apart against Kings
131 - TCU 4th in AP poll; U. 16th, Y. 22nd
119 - No 'backlash' for pioneers, gays analogy
104 - RSL rallies to advance
103 - Utes pound winless Lobos
89
what an awesome game, really the only one that we can reasonably win. The...
interesting | 1:56 p.m It's more than the "Tear down this wall"...
I guess I would call myself an American mutt. Born in American with a mix of...
Warm, cold, tepid, nothing you can do about it anyway. Short of eliminating...
Re: Not about the money. Other good reasons to want TCU to win 1. I...
It's embarrassing when you're 8-1 and ranked #16 ... and your fans have...
Isn't it somewhere by Scipio?
What fascinates me is the contrast between the tone taken by the DN writers...
interesting | 1:56 p.m. If your posting contains mis-representations it...
Yeah if Utah beats TCU then they would certainly lose enough skill and to...

