VOICES: It’s time to fix Ohio’s gasoline gamble

When you pull up to the pump, you assume you’re getting gasoline. But here in Ohio, that’s a big assumption. Our state is one of only three in the nation — alongside Alaska and Nebraska — without a program in place to test fuel quality. That means every time you fill your tank, you’re rolling the dice. And lately, luck has run out for many Ohio drivers.

In April, cars broke down on the side of the road after consumers unknowingly pumped water-tainted fuel at two Montgomery County gas stations. A week later, motorists in Clinton County suffered the same fate and were stuck with hundreds of dollars in repairs to get their cars back on the road. In both cases, consumers thought they were buying a product they could trust. They never imagined their routine pit stop would land them in the repair shop.

Unfortunately, these are not isolated incidents. They are part of a concerning pattern. In the past year alone, tainted fuel has claimed victims in Brown, Clinton, Hamilton, Lorain, Lucas, and Montgomery Counties. And these are just the cases we know about. Without a fuel quality testing program in place, we have no idea how widespread this problem really is. In Ohio, tainted fuel often goes undetected until engines fail and drivers are left stranded on the side of the road.

Bad gas is always a losing bet for everyone involved. For consumers, it means costly and time-consuming repairs. One contaminated tank can disable dozens of vehicles. For gas stations, most of which are small, locally owned businesses, it means lost revenue, bad publicity, and expensive clean-ups. These businesses often bear the blame for a problem created elsewhere in the supply chain. With no testing mechanism in place, even the most responsible station owners and consumers are at risk of becoming the next victim of contaminated gas.

As elected officials, we have seen the hardship that tainted fuel has caused our residents. The stakes are too high to ignore. It’s time to act to address Ohio’s gasoline gamble. Now, more than ever, we need fuel quality testing.

Senate Bill 80, introduced by Senators Catherine Ingram and Willis Blackshear, would grant county auditors the authority to inspect fuel quality. County auditors have weights and measures inspectors who already visit gas stations to test the quantity of fuel sold to consumers. While they’re there, those same inspectors could ensure the octane level is correct and check that the fuel is not tainted by water or sediment.

These tests could be performed at minimal cost to taxpayers. Inspectors are already in the field, and the equipment they would need to test for quality is affordable. County auditors have the personnel, the means, and the expertise—they just need the authority to test. S.B. 80 gives county auditors that authority, allowing them to protect both consumers and businesses from the threat of tainted fuel.

S.B. 80 is a no-brainer. It creates a low-cost, high-impact solution to a very real problem. It empowers local inspectors to act proactively to protect consumers and businesses and to respond quickly when issues arise. Most importantly, it will help give Ohio drivers the confidence that what is going into their tank won’t end up taking them off the road.

It’s time Ohio caught up with the rest of the country. Our drivers deserve to know what they’re putting in their tanks. That’s why we urge the General Assembly to pass S.B. 80. Because here in the Buckeye State, getting quality gasoline shouldn’t require blind luck.