By Brad Kellar
Greenville, TX –
The Texas Department of Agriculture has revealed 8 gas pumps in Hunt County, 5 of them in Commerce, delivered a different amount of gasoline than was being indicated. The infractions were recorded by the office of Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples during the period between Oct. 25 and Dec. 24.
Two of the pumps in Commerce were reported at the Brookshires at 1603 Culver Street. The report indicated that on an Oct. 29 visit, one of the pumps did not hold zero and the other provided a short measure in excess of tolerance. By not holding zero, the pump did not begin transactions at $0.00 and 0.000 gallons. A short measure means the device short measured in excess of the tolerance allowed by the TDA. Consumers using this pump would not have received all the fuel indicated on the device display.
Two more pumps were found to have been out of compliance at the M and S Gas Stop on Highway 224 in Commerce. On a reported Oct. 30 visit, one pump did not hold zero and the other short measured.
One pump, at the Tex's T store on Wolfe City Drive, was found to short measure on Oct. 30.
One pump in Greenville was found to be out of compliance last month. The device at the Retail King Mart at 3805 Lee Street reportedly delivered less fuel than the amount indicated on the pump's display by more than twice the allowed tolerance during a visit on November 8. Consumers using this pump, according to the report, would not have received all the fuel indicated on the device display.
Two pumps in Quinlan, both at the Brookshires store on Highway 34, were found to be out of compliance during a Dec. 3 inspection. One of the pumps was reported to be short measuring and the other delivered less fuel than the amount indicated on the pump's display by more than twice the allowed tolerance.
The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) has 72 weights and measures inspectors throughout the state, checking more than 65,000 pumps per year. An inspector will place an out of order tag on any pumps not dispensing the correct amount of fuel within an allowable tolerance set by the agency. The complete report can be found on the Texas Department of Agriculture Web site at www.tda.state.tx.us, under the Public Information Reports tab.