Why can't we have one gas formulation that's used in every State?

[napi21]

I understand some formulas have been adopted because of heavier polution in certain areas, but it IS more expensive to make dozens of different formulas than if we had only one. Why can't we just adopt te best one to curb polution and be done with this mess?

[DS1]

1. So the cheapos in Kentucky can continue to pummel the east coast

with acid rain.

[AValdoux]

2. Make it as complicated as possible

Then they can blame the environmentalist for high gas prices.


AValdoux

[Ioo]

3. I have always thought that... here is what we do...

We look at the most clean say CA, we put the WHOLE nation to 75% of the CA gas...

I think that the nation as a whole would be cleaner...

and we are done!

[rfkrfk]

22. why does one state decide for others?

btw, how do you know it's cleaner?

do you believe everything you read?

[TX-RAT]

4. Excellent question.

[huskerlaw]

5. Because we live in a country where

a large percentage of the population still believes that global warming is a myth.

[Ian David]

11. Global warming is a myth but gay marriage is dangerous in their minds

[PerceptionManagement]

6. Because the Oil Monopoly wouldn't like that.

What were you thinking?

[Redstone]

7. That would be WAY too simple. And make too much sense.

This is America, remember?

Redstone

[The_Casual_Observer]

8. The whole thing is a bogus excuse for why the prices are high.

There isn't any real effort involved in that formulation thing.

[napi21]

13. I have to disagree with you on that.

I worked for a long time for a company that manufactured vitamins. I bet we had 35 different formulations of vitamin C! Well guess what. Every time you made a different formula, you had to do a change over. That took anywhere from 4 hours to 16 hours, even though almost all the ingredients were the same!!!!!

Change overs are expensive, and that is a fact for the oil industry as well as any other manufacturing business.

To complicate matters, you end up with more of one product than another. If demand increases for one v's another unexpectidly, the consumer is hurt!!!

I don't car is this sounds too simplistic for some of you. Sometimes the simple solution is the best one!!!!

[The_Casual_Observer]

17. This is a seasonal adjustment, you can bet that they waste no

time in making that changeover. I'll bet that they don't even miss a beat, no down time, like everything else in a refinery operation.

[napi21]

18. I'm not buyin the seasonal adjustment story!

They've been producing multiple formulations of gas for years, and other than a slight blip, we experienced NOTHING!

You're buying into the BS of the oil companies.

[Lexingtonian]

9. That would be Socialism, you pinko Commie Liberal.

That would be efficient and fair and wouldn't lend itself to easy abuses of the consumers and profiteering.

And you know we can't have that. It would be outright un-American.

[napi21]

15. HAH. Thanks. Made me smile in the midst of my rant! n/t

[DUHandle]

10. The EPA requires it

in some States and there is no choice.

[RaleighNCDUer]

12. The EPA does not require that some states have lower standards.

If all states held to the higest EPA standard, the standardization would offset the cost of the higher quality fuel -- mass production is always cheaper than piecework. It would simplify the refining, production, storage and transport because it would all be one product.

[napi21]

14. Thanks! My fingers weren't quite fast enough to post the same thing!

Even the people in KS, IA, WY and all the other sparsly populated areas would still benefit because the overall production costs would be less, and the end cost to the customer would come down.

If I can understand this, why cant the "smart attorney legislaters" in DC understand that too????

[DUHandle]

23. My post was about gasoline and not air quality standards

I live in Southeastern Wisconsin.

Since about 1995, a different blend of gasoline has been sold and is required.

Elsewhere in State, “real” gasoline is sold.

[RC]

16. Gasoline is formulated for different altitudes and temperatures.

To say nothing of the varying seasons. There is no way one grade/blend of gasoline would work in all areas of the country.

[napi21]

19. Why? Was it always this way?

I'm not trying to argue with you, but to gain information I've never heard.

I know Calif. gas is a special blend, and that's a story all by itself! But there are areas of the country where one formula is OK in one county and not the next! I understand the difference altitude makes in many things, but that's one excues I've never heard. Surely there haven't always been many different formulas. Please explain.

[RC]

20. Gas has to be more volatile in the winter to ease getting your

car started. That same volatility in the summer will vapor lock your car and/or cause it to run very lean. Altitude has a bearing on this also. Using gas formulated for 100°+ days in -30° winters will make for very hard starting.

[KitchenWitch]

21. Climate

In northern states we have two different blends. One for summer and one for winter.