WASHINGTON – Nine members of the Wisconsin congressional delegation today sent a letter to Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Spencer Abraham and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Christine Todd Whitman requesting a meeting as soon as possible, in light of serious and nearly daily increases in the price of gasoline in Wisconsin. Senators Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold, and Representatives F. James Sensenbrenner, Paul Ryan, Gerald Kleczka, Mark Green, Tammy Baldwin, Thomas Petri, and Tom Barrett all signed the letter.

In their letter to EPA and DOE heads, the legislators expressed their wish to discuss the critically tight supply of conventional and reformulated fuel in the Wisconsin region, highlighting several factors that have contributed to supply problems. They cited last weekend's fire at the Wood River refinery in Southeastern Illinois, which led to a stop in petroleum refining at that facility. In addition, the lawmakers noted in their letter that it is their understanding that the gas processing section of Illinois' Lemont refinery, which supplies the Wisconsin market, is down and could be off line for the next two weeks.

"Combined with the fact that our region lost the Premcor refinery over the winter to closure, without any offsetting increase in production elsewhere in the area, we are facing a pressing supply emergency that has forced the wholesale price of gasoline to jump 14 cents overnight between Monday and Tuesday of this week," the legislators wrote.

The legislators expressed their concern that prices would rise further and faster, should yet another refinery break down or should a transportation disturbance occur. In their letter, they stated: "We need to understand the emergency authorities your agencies have to address this situation, and provide both relief and flexibility to the Wisconsin market in order to lower prices."

The legislators also expressed their wish to address two specific reformulated fuel issues with the administration: the effect of tank drawdown of winter reformulated gas (RFG) stocks on summer prices and the administration's rulemaking regarding its (previously agreed to) upward adjustment to the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) standard. Earlier this year, during a March 15 meeting between EPA Administrator Whitman, DOE Secretary Abraham and a bipartisan group of Members of the Wisconsin and Illinois congressional delegations, legislators received a commitment from the EPA for an upward adjustment of the VOC standard to make the blending of RFG cheaper and easier. At the same meeting, the EPA agreed to permit refiners to mix winter and summer blends of RFG II in their tanks, during the transition between RFG winter and summer blends. The meeting the legislators requested in today's letter would address outstanding issues related to both of these agreements.

"The supply of gas is our focus for two reasons: We want to bring prices in Wisconsin down, and we don't want to find ourselves with the fuel shortages St. Louis faced last year when their reserves were virtually exhausted. We hope to enlist the help of the administration to ensure that production and transportation concerns are addressed so that a fuel supply in Wisconsin can be maintained at a level to reduce prices," Sen. Kohl said.

"Wisconsin's supply problems are serious," Sen. Feingold said. "We need to be sure the administration is doing all it can to find out the cause of the high gas prices so that we can prevent price shocks. I will continue to keep the pressure on the White House, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy."

"Wisconsin drivers should not get hit every spring and summer with gasoline price spikes," said Rep. Ryan. "Supply is much too tight in our area right now, and it's pushing gas prices through the roof. It's critical that we work with everyone involved, including the EPA and DOE, to find both short- and long-term solutions to this problem, which has become a real hardship for so many who live and work in Wisconsin."

"We can't go on like this," said Rep. Tom Petri. "For most people, affordable gasoline is not a luxury. I think the Bush Administration is trying to be helpful, but we need to keep the Midwest's energy problems on the front burner."

"The Administration needs to ensure that there is an adequate supply of reformulated gas to Wisconsin so that gas prices do not continue to soar," Rep. Barrett said. "Examining supplies and granting adequate flexibility within the Clean Air laws are two important steps to combat inflated gas prices."

"This is a problem that stretches far beyond Milwaukee and into every home, tourist destination, business, and farm field in the state," Rep. Green said. "Not only can folks not afford two bucks a gallon, these high prices threaten our entire state economy. We're going to keep pushing the federal government, the oil refineries, and everyone in between to do whatever they can to try to keep gas prices down."

"For the second year in a row, Wisconsin residents are suffering from unusually high gas prices. They deserve answers and solutions to this problem, which is why I signed on to the letter to Administrator Whitman and Secretary Abraham. Among other things, we have requested a meeting with them to discuss the need for flexibility in dealing with federal regulations. Administrator Whitman and Secretary Abraham have demonstrated a willingness to work with us and hopefully they will agree that a meeting in the near future could provide constructive solutions," Rep. Sensenbrenner said.

"We are experiencing a repeat of last summer's gas price crisis," Rep. Kleczka said, "and the Wisconsin Members of Congress are working to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"As I travel around my district, the high price of gas is one of the first topics of conversation and one of my constituents' primary concerns. It seems that Wisconsinites, in particular, are being gouged at the gas pump. We need to know why and do whatever we can to bring our gas prices down," said Rep. Baldwin.
 

To read a copy of the legislators' letter, please click on the thumbnails below:

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