‘Test gas pumps for accuracy’

Dear Gov. Benigno R. Fitial:

In these days of ultra high gas prices it is especially important for our citizens to know that they are being charged fairly and in full measure at the gas pump. I have reason to believe that this is not the case.

I have received numerous reports from citizens complaining that they think they are being short-changed at various gas pumps around the island. Even a very small error in the calibration of a pump can mean hundreds of gallons of fuel being charged to customers but not delivered.

Now, at more than $5 per gallon, this can add up to big money being accidentally or even fraudulently charged to Saipan customers. If a metering device is 95 percent correct on the short side, the “error” costs the driving public 25 cents extra per gallon pumped at today’s prices. The gas station collects an extra $240 for every 1,000 gallons of gas it pumps. Hundreds of thousands of gallon are being pumped in the CNMI and that adds up to big bucks.

Our Department of Commerce is tasked with checking and testing retail outlets for accuracy of weights and measures. That department is shorthanded and has little budget to do onsite checking and is woefully behind in making sure each and every gas pump is calibrated and is delivering the exact amount of gas that the customer is being charged for.

Customers filling standard-sized containers, like 1 gallon or 5 gallon authorized and premeasured gas containers often report a shortage of fuel. The container is not filled to the mark as indicated. The customer pays for one gallon but gets maybe ninth tenths of a gallon. No reports have come in of pumps dispensing too much…it is always too little which is quite a coincidence.

Our citizens deserve to know for sure that they are getting full measure when they spend their hard earned money for fuel. They need to know without a doubt that they are receiving all the gas they have paid for every time they buy fuel.

To accomplish this, we need to perform complete calibration checks on all pumps using a random schedule. It would not take long to go to each of the eight stations on island and hand check each of the pumps using a scientifically accurate calibrated container to extract a gallon or two from each pump. A pump which dispenses accurately gets a certificating sticker where customers can see and is good for one month, or until the next random testing visit, whichever comes first. A pump that fails to provide an accurate amount is padlocked on the spot and not permitted to operate until its owner has recalibrated it and the pump has been retested by the Department of Commerce or an authorized tester.

This sounds harsh, and maybe a bit untrusting but there is a lot at stake during these hard economic times. It was an item easy to overlook back when gas was $1.50 or $2 per gallon. Now, as our fuel surpasses $5 per gallon, I feel it is imperative for our government to assure the citizenry that they are being treated fairly and honestly. That means we need to task a person or persons from the Department of Commerce to perform these random testing on a regular basis. It should begin immediately.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this important matter. Your timely response will be appreciated by all the residents of the Commonwealth. You too will probably feel better the next time you pull up to that gas pump for a fill-up.