Media Contact: Steve Lyle, Office of Public Affairs, (916) 654-0462, steve.lyle@cdfa.ca.gov
SACRAMENTO, March 2, 2001-Have you ever wondered if you are getting the octane you pay for when it comes to gasoline?
A recent survey conducted by the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Division of Measurement Standards determined that, in California, you will 99.3% of the time.
The United States General Accounting Office analyzed nationwide compliance rates for engine fuel octane in 1990. In states with no testing or enforcement program, the compliance rate was 47% to 78%. The compliance rate in states with fuel testing and compliance enforcement programs averaged 97.3%.
Octane testing is only one of the many valuable consumer protection programs and services provided by both county and state weights and measures in California.
March 1 through 7, 2001, has been proclaimed National Weights and Measures Week, in recognition of the 202nd anniversary of the signing of the first weights and measures law in the United States on March 2, 1799.
The week recognizes the important service to the community performed by over 3,000 state and local weights and measures officials across the nation. These men and women help ensure that consumers get what they pay for and that businesses do not give products away as a result of inaccurate measuring equipment. The officials also make sure that individuals who sell products and services by weight or measure follow federal, state, and local laws.
Because U.S. sales of products and services impacted by weights and measures laws total over $4.5 trillion annually, the work of the weights and measures office has a significant impact on our communities and our nation. It is vital to maintaining consumer confidence in the marketplace, promoting fair competition among businesses, and ensuring a strong national economy.
-30-
FLEX YOUR POWER. To meet California’s energy challenge, CDFA urges businesses and consumers to conserve. For a list of simple ways that you can reduce demand and cut your energy costs, see our Web site @www.cdfa.ca.gov.