August 30, 2001

If you're living in the

If you're living in the Midwest, you've noticed that gas prices have creeped close to $2 a gallon. This is because there was a fire at a Citgo refinery. It could take up to six months to fix it. The EPA is doing the sensible thing by temporarily releaving Citgo of some environmental regulations so it can get more oil out on the market. But here's the nasty fine print: Citgo will pay the government about 13 cents a gallon to "offset any competitive advantage the company may have." Other gasoline companies are happy, but consumers are left with an empty feeling in their pocketbooks.

"EPA Moves to Increase Midwest Gasoline Supply"