Thursday, July 6, 2006

Dear Friends,

Have you noticed a sticker on the gas pump warning you not to top off your tank? It's there for a good reason.

If you visit my Fuel Facts Web page (www.azgovernor.gov/fuelfacts), you can view a video clip taken with an infrared camera. It shows the cloud of gasoline fumes or vapors that escape when you fill up at most service stations.

These vapors can lead to poor air quality. They contain volatile organic compounds (VOC) that contribute to the creation of ozone, a pollutant that can cause health problems, especially for people with asthma or respiratory disease, children and those who exercise or spend time outdoors during the summer months. This is why you're urged to avoid filling the tank at certain times of the day during ozone alerts. Filling up after dark means less ozone production and better air quality.

In addition, by topping off your tank, you are throwing away money. In the Phoenix area, federal clean-air rules require gas stations to have what is called a Stage II Vapor Recovery System. If you over-fill your tank, the system sucks those fumes back into the service station storage tank.

The Arizona Department of Weights and Measures conducts annual inspections of Stage II Vapor Recovery systems to make sure they work properly. More than 1,300 such tests were done during FY 2006 and more than $83,700 in civil penalties were levied because of non-compliance.

Please don't top off. We will all benefit from cleaner air, better health and money saved at the gas pump.

As always, I encourage you to visit my Web page devoted to gasoline information at www.azgovernor.gov/fuelfacts. Please check the site often throughout the summer as we add fuel saving tips.

Yours very truly,

Janet Napolitano