FUELIowa Magazine: Sept / Oct 2022

THE VOICE AND RESOURCE FOR IOWA’S FUEL INDUSTRY

Farmers and C-Stores pg. 4

Higher Blends Incentive p. 8 Iowa's New Bottle Bill pg. 14

VOLUME 75, NO.5

SEPT

OCT

THE

FEATURES

Whoever said Iowa is nothing but flat land has never been to southwest Iowa, as shown by this tractor heading down a rural road in Union County. Fuel is important in farming, that goes without saying. Without fuel, our tractors, combines, and semis couldn’t plant, harvest, and haul the grain to the co-op.

THIS

BLENDS

HEALTH INSURANCE

HAPPENINGS

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

CHALLENGES & OBSTACLES: THE ROAD AHEAD

Summer has come to an end, and the important work of serving the interests and concerns of the membership continues. I reached out to members and heard their concerns regarding the retention of employees and sustaining a high level of quality service for their customers. Specifically, the challenge resulting from a shortage of workers to staff openings and clos ings; drivers to bring products to shelve the shopping ailes and restocking has impacted the quality of maintenance and operational effectiveness.

Members remain concerned about the infrastructure obstacles of complying with H.F. 2128, the Biofuels Access legislation passed by the Iowa Legislature last session. The primary objective of FUELIowa going forward is to secure infrastruc ture grant funding. Achieving this objective will require active member partici pation in the legislative and regulatory process at the Federal and State levels of government. These are areas where common interests can be discussed.

It is essential for the membership and their employees to consider contributing to the FUELIowa PAC. As we look forward to the 2023 Iowa legislative session. I encourage the members and their employees to engage their local legislators on the importance of protecting the growth and sustainability of the Iowa retail fuel sector.

FUELIowa will continue to strongly support our historic relationship with the Iowa farmer and their investments in sustainable agriculture. Let us go forward to meet the challenges and obstacles in the future with confidence we can build and sustain our industry and proudly serve our customers and strengthen the Iowa economy.

RNL

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chris Biellier Associate Director

Seneca Companies Davenport | 563-332-8000

Chad Besch Associate Director New Cooperative Algona | 563-200-5115

Don Burd Director Otter Creek Country Store Cedar Rapids | 319-533-1825

Tia Eischeid Director

Al’s Corner Oil Co Carroll | 712-673-2723

Wade Fowler Associate Director Core-Mark Midcontinent, Inc. DBA Farner-Bocken Carroll | 641-777-0308

Steve Kimmes Director Kimmes Enterprises LLC Carroll | 515-681-7890

Ronald N. Langston President & CEO FUELIowa 515-224-1599

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Bev Jessen Chair Johnson Oil/ Cylinder Express Battle Creek 712-365-4740

Joseph Zietlow Vice Chair Kwik Trip, Inc La Crosse, WI 608-793-6484

Tessa Fahey Treasurer Rainbo Oil Dubuque 563- 526-1179

Doug Coziahr Immediate Past Chair Nebraska-Iowa Supply Company Omaha 402-393-8350

Nicole Johnson Director Molo Companies Dubuque | 563-557-5714

Keith Olsen | Director Olsen Fuel Supply Atlantic | 712-243-2340

Jim Pauk Director W&H Coop Oil Co Humboldt | 515-332-2782

Matt Scheetz Director The Depot Express Tiffin | 319-545-9514

A Partnership for Generations

By Sarah Bowman, Communications Director , FUELIowa

FUELIowa and Agriculture have been steady partners for generations in Iowa.

Drive by any small town in rural Iowa during spring or fall and you’ll see pickup trucks outside of convenience stores at all hours of the day.

Inside you’ll be greeted with smiles - a table of farmers (many wearing their seed hats) discussing the weather, the local town news, and school sporting events over a cup of coffee.

Men and women of all ages working the land, just as their parents, grand parents and great grandparents did.

It has always been this way in Iowa.

Even with cell phones, texting, and modern conveniences in technology, the place to catch up on events, com pare yield with your neighbors, hear the latest town news has - and is - the local gas station.

Gas stations aren’t just for fuel.

They’re for fellowship. For friends. For family. The farm family.

Fuel is important in farming, that goes without saying. Without fuel, our trac tors, combines, and semis couldn’t

because major oil was controlling prices on sites they owned. The in dependents aggressively looked for governmental help. The answer came in the form of a "chain store tax." Two thousand Iowa merchants, many of them independent oil jobbers, packed the 1935 Iowa House of

In 2019, PMCI re-branded to FUELIowa, The Voice and Resource for Iowa's Fuel Industry. And through it all, we’ve been there for the farmers. Our members carried fuel to the farms, whether it be for their vehicles, tractors, or homes. FU ELIowa fuels farmers, and the farmers feed the world.

plant, harvest, and haul the grain.

FUELIowa has a rich history in Iowa, and with farmers. In 1935, both the refiners and many independent oil jobbers previously belonged to one statewide organization. Service station compe tition between the independents and the major refiners caused the break in 1937 that led the independents to form their own trade association called the “Iowa Independent Oil Jobbers Association”.

The 1930's fracture developed back when the major oil companies owned most of Iowa's bulk plants and service stations. Some independent jobbers claimed there was unfair competition

Representatives to applaud speakers supporting one of the nation's highest chain store taxes. The law passed. Because of its lack of influence and fi nances, the newly formed group “Iowa Independent Oil Jobbers Association”, was not expected to succeed. Over time, the association of members not only succeeded, it now represents more than 2,000 independent business locations.

In 1983, the association changed its name to “Petroleum Marketers of Iowa” and later added convenience stores to the name in 2001, becoming PMCI, Petroleum Marketers and Con venience Stores of Iowa.

Throughout the history of FUELIowa, we have been intertwined with agriculture. FUELIowa is proud of our strong connection with agriculture.

FUELIowa believes a strong, accessible fuel distribution network is essential to Iowa’s rural and urban economies. We value fuel choice, fuel quality, fair competition, consumer and environ mental protection, and innovation. We advocate for policies and mar ketplace practices that support these beliefs and values.

POWERFUL BRAND. HOMETOWN FEEL.

We know that the true power behind the Cenex® brand comes from our locally-owned retailers – valued partners who are invested in their customers and community. That’s why we’re committed to your success and helping you build your business from the moment you become a Cenex® retailer. From flexible brand conversion and marketing, to convenient payment processing and training programs, we can provide your business with the support it needs to help you grow.

A name your customers trust, a brand you can count on –visit cenex.com/businessopportunities to learn more.

By Theresa Greenfield, USDA Rural Development Director

Higher Blends Incentive Infrastructure Program

The other day, I paid for my gas at the convenience store here in town and noted the price of fuel. It was less here than when I bought it recently on an out-of-state trip.

The availability and affordability of eth anol and biodiesel means we spend less at the pump and have more mon ey for other expenses such as food, clothing, shelter, and fun.

One of the reasons that biofuels are af fordable is the support provided by the

United States Department of Agricul ture and its Higher Blends Infrastructure

Incentive Program (HBIIP), a program that seeks to market availability of re newable fuels like E15, E85, and B20. HBIIP provides grants, up to 50% of total eligible project costs, to transporta tion fueling and biodiesel distribution facilities to convert to higher blends by sharing the costs related to the instal lation of fuel pumps, dispensers, and storage tanks.

Nearly 20 fueling stations, convenience stores and fueling distribution stations across Iowa have received a total of $4 million in HBIIP funding since 2020. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to expand the availability of higher-blend biofuels at your fueling station.

USDA is currently accepting applica tions for $100 million in HBIIP grants to increase the sale and use of biofuels derived from U.S. agricultural products. Applications must be in by November 21, 2022. I encourage fuel suppliers to contact us at USDA Rural Development to learn more about our HBIIP grant program.

The Biden-Harris Administration recog nizes that rural America is key to reduc ing our reliance on fossil fuels and is investing in climate smart infrastructure.

USDA’s commitment to cleaner energy derived from U.S. agricultural products will move us to energy independence and grow jobs in rural communities. Let’s give more Iowans cleaner and more affordable options at the pump.

Theresa Greenfield is the USDA Rural Development State Director in Iowa. She can be reached at Theresa.Greenfield@ usda.gov

WHAT IS THE HIGHER BLENDS INFRASTRUCTURE INCENTIVE PROGRAM?

The purpose of the HBIIP is to increase significantly the sales and use of higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel by expanding the infrastructure for renewable fuels derived from U.S. agricultural products. The program is also intended to encourage a more comprehensive approach to mar ket higher blends by sharing the costs related to building out biofuel-re lated infrastructure.

What does this program do?

The purpose of the HBIIP is to increase significantly the sales and use of higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel by expanding the infrastructure for renewable fuels derived from U.S. agricultural products.

The program is also intended to encourage a more comprehensive ap proach to market higher blends by sharing the costs related to building out biofuel-related infrastructure.

Who may apply?

Transportation fueling facilities including: Fueling stations, convenience stores, hypermarket fueling stations, fleet facilities (including rail and marine), and similar entities with capital invest ments;

Fuel distribution facilities, such as: Terminal operations, depots, and midstream partners, and similarly equiv alent operations.

What funding is available?

Under HBIIP, approximately $100 million is made available to: Fueling stations, convenience stores, hypermarket fueling stations, fleet facilities, and similar entities with capital investments) for eligible imple mentation activities related to higher blends of fuel ethanol greater than 10 percent ethanol, such as E15 or higher, and biodiesel greater than 5 percent biodiesel, such as B20 or higher; and Terminal operations, depots, and midstream partners, for eligible imple mentation activities related to higher blends of fuel ethanol greater than 10 percent ethanol, such as E15 or higher, and biodiesel greater than 5 percent biodiesel, such as B20 or higher.

What are the terms?

Awards to successful applicants will be in the form of cost-share grants for up to 50 percent of total eligible project costs, but not to exceed $5 million, whichever is less.

Quality Health Insurance for 2023 and Beyond

MEMBER BENEFITS

By Gary Koerner, Executive Vice President, FUELIowa

Why is it important to offer your employees benefits?

Offering quality insurance cov erage is the number one benefit employees look for when looking for employment. In fact, a recent study showed that companies that offer quality employee benefits are twice as likely to report improved business performance and higher employee satisfaction.

If your company is trying to retain and attract talent, offering quality employee benefits is key.

WHY HEALTHAlliance?

Where does HEALTHAlliance Benefit Plan (HABP) come in? HABP was created by FUELIowa for its partici pating employers. HABP’s mission is to provide the best employee ben efits in Iowa at great rates to help its members succeed. By forming a large group, HABP can provide their participating FUELIowa mem bers better plans at competitive costs.

Securing group benefits for your employees is less expensive than

your employees purchasing Individual plans – additionally, as a group, you have more control and can ensure that the mon ey you spend on insurance for your employees is well spent.

“During challenging times and uncertainty in the la bor market and economy, the stability and competi tive health benefit options the HABP group offers is a key part for both recruiting and retaining employees today, and in the future,” said Andrew Woodard with Elliott Oil.

Health Insurance Coverage

In 2023, the average state wide increase for health coverage is 9%. However, HAPB’s overall increase for health coverage is well below trend at 5.5%. In fact, in seven of the past eight years, HABP has outperformed the industry and provided stability for its mem bers – an important competitive advantage for participating members.

While HABP’s cost stability is a huge advantage, the health plans offered are also much richer. HABP partners with Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield to create health plans that allow employers to offer several plan options to their employee. HABP does not age rate, and there are no additional per dependent premium charges.

The Trustees have approved three new lower priced health plan deduct ible options that will be available for January 1, 2023 – two of these new plan options are qualified high deduct ible health plans (QHDHP) that can partner with a health savings account (HSA). The current qualified health deductible option ($2,800) will increase the deductible to meet new Federal guidelines. The Trustees also voted to discontinue both $1,500 deductible plan options due to low enrollment numbers. Please contact HABP’s mar keting representative, Mary Johnson, with your questions regarding any of the deductible plan option changes or additions. Mary’s contact informa tion is 515-237-0121 or mary.johnson@ AssuredPartners.com

Why HABP’s Strategic Partnership with Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa?

Our partnership with Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa provides our covered members access to the most extensive Provider Network in the United States. 100% of all Iowa hospitals and 99% of Iowa physicians participate with Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa. In fact, 96% of all hospi tals and 93% of all doctors and special ists across the United States participate with Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

Whether in Iowa, Florida or Montana, a member covered through Blue Cross and Blue Shield can rely upon access to the largest nationwide provider net work and can be far less concerned about a “surprise” medical bill whether at home or traveling.

One tool HABP is providing its cov ered members is access to Doctors on Demand, a telehealth option, for minor illness and injuries. It is one way a mem ber can access a provider, receive necessary care, and save money. Information on this benefit plus more can be located on the HABP websitewww.Healthalliancebenefitplan.com

Dental Coverage

Another important employee benefit is dental coverage. HABP offers two different plan options through Delta Dental of Iowa with the main differ ence - orthodontia coverage. Making dental coverage available offers your employees the opportunity to maintain good oral health, a key to maintaining overall good health. HABP’s partner ship with Delta Dental provides our covered members the most extensive provider network in Iowa and through out United States.

The Trustees voted a 3% rate increase

for all participating employers effective January 1, 2022, after holding rates for several years.

Group Term / Supplemental Life

HABP offers life Insurance products thru Symetra which will provide a $15,000 life benefit to participating health insured employees at no cost to the employer or employee. Additionally, employees can purchase supplemen tal life at great rates.

NEW Benefit Offering –Disability Coverage

Symetra, HABP’s life insurance carrier will now offer Short Term Disability Cov erage to HABP participating employers right after the first of the year. This is an exciting new benefit offering. Call Mary Johnson, HABP marketing representa tive, at 515-237-0121 for more information.

Employer Support – Billing, Customer Service, and Compliance

Partnering with HABP is like having an expert on staff with important industry knowledge on compliance, adminis tration, and customer service support as well as consolidated billing & easy enrollment so your staff can focus on growing your business.

“We have been using Health Alliance for a few years now. The team that we work with is always great. They respond quickly and answer any ques tions that we may have. When getting ready for open enrollment, Western Iowa Energy, is always given lots of information and they go through any and all changes. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Health Alliance in the future.”

Ronda Bohm, HR Office Manager, Western Iowa Energy

Why HEALTHAlliance?

HABP has more than 70 FUELIowa member companies as part of our Alliance and our Trustees have autho rized the addition of more employers this year.

“HealthAlliance is being managed by people who are members of FUELIowa and are committed to caring about fuel & similar types of trades. That is a positive,” Bryan Bandstra, Legal & Risk Director at Key Cooperative. “I strong ly urge you to contact HABP’s Mary Johnson at 515-237-0121 to learn more about what HABP can do for you. “

Learn more at HealthAllianceBenefitPlan.com

fuel innovation powers a

Leading

Iowa's New Bottle Bill

By John Maynes, Regulatory Manager, FUELIowa

On June 17, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed into law Senate File 2378. Senate File 2378 reno vates Iowa’s bottle and can de posit law and represents a signifi cant victory for FUELIowa members. Thank you to all the FUELIowa members who invested their time and resources into educating law makers about the need to modern ize Iowa’s bottle and can deposit law. Without your investment, this historic achievement would have never been possible.

Advancing Senate File 2378 took cooperation and a willingness to compromise. Lawmakers, con venience stores, grocers, bever age distributors, and redemption centers all played key roles in the passage of House File 2378. FUE LIowa applauds Governor Reyn olds for her willingness to sign this historic legislation. Iowa’s bottle and can deposit law had remained unchanged since 1979 and had become a highly controversial issue for lawmakers and the citizens of Iowa.

Senate File 2378 represents a comprehensive modernization of Iowa’s bottle and can deposit law by providing businesses with the

choice of removing container re demption from stores; prioritizes the use of existing funds within Iowa’s bottle and can deposit system; and addresses the long-term viability of Iowa’s bottle and can deposit law by increasing the handling fee paid to redemption centers helping to ensure all Iowan’s have readily available access to redeem their deposit paid on beverage contain ers.

In addition to tripling the handling fee paid to redemption centers, Senate File 2378 codifies a conve nience standard in Iowa Code and affords certain retailers meeting now defined criteria the option of opting out of the law under certain conditions. While the majority of Senate File 2378 goes into effect on January 1, 2023, the now defined convenience standard takes effect immediately.

Under Iowa’s bottle and can de posit law, the convenience stan dard allows any retailer with a re demption center within 10 miles for counties with a population greater than 30,000, or 15 miles for counties with a population less than 30,000 to refuse to accept beverage con tainers.

A retailer utilizing Iowa’s convenience standard must clearly dis play a notice on the front entry of the business conveying they do not accept beverage containers and the location of the nearest approved redemption center.

Effective January 1, 2023, retailers who do not meet the newly codified definition for convenience standard may opt out under any of the following conditions:

REGULATORY FEATURE

The retailer holds a food establish ment license under Chapter 137F to prepare or serve food; has a certified food protection manager as required by the Food and Drug Administration; and sells time and temperature control for safety foods as defined by Iowa Code Section 137F.2.

The retailer has an agreement with a redemption center approved with the state of Iowa for the operation of a mobile redemption system and all the following apply:

• The retailer provides the space, utilities, and internet necessary for operation; and

•The agreement does not require additional payment to the retailer or the mobile redemption system.

The retailer is within the codified convenience standard.

While the prevailing feeling among FUELIowa members is to remove the redemption and collection of beverage containers from their convenience stores, for those con venience store owners interested in providing beverage container redemption as a service to their patrons, effective January 1, 2023 the handling fee paid by distribu tors to redemption centers and any retailers who chose to continue to accept containers is tripled.

A list of the Iowa Population by County can be found on the following page.

COUNTY Polk Linn Scott Johnson Black Hawk Woodbury Dallas Story Dubuque Pottawattamie Warren Clinton Cerro Gordo Muscatine Marshall Des Moines Jasper Webster Sioux Wapello Marion Lee Boone Benton Plymouth Bremer Washington Mahaska Jones Buena Vista Carroll Buchanan Henry Winneshiek Jackson Fayette Poweshiek Cedar Dickinson Delaware Clayton Tama Madison Hardin Iowa Clay Crawford Jefferson Floyd

POPULATION

16,568 16,440 16,193 15,647 15,413

Page Hamilton Harrison Kossuth Mills Butler O'Brien Allamakee Cass Wright Grundy Appanoose Union Lyon Chickasaw Shelby Cherokee Louisa Hancock Winnebago Guthrie Mitchell Montgomery Franklin Calhoun Keokuk Clarke Sac Humboldt Howard Emmet Davis Palo Alto Greene Lucas Monona Decatur Monroe Adair Worth Van Buren Pocahontas Ida Fremont Wayne Osceola Taylor Audubon Ringgold Adams

15,197 14,887 14,669 14,529 14,465 14,332 14,015 13,926 13,050 12,785 12,347 12,257 12,018 12,011 11,887 11,770 11,503 10,749 10,663 10,656 10,567 10,555 10,322 9,952 9,915 9,914 9,785 9,752 9,634 9,478 9,321 9,138 8,906 8,717 8,710 8,574 7,659 7,610 7,541 7,385 7,243 7,074 6,956 6,567 6,508 6,159 5,868 5,635 4,639 3,641

Under Iowa’s bottle and can deposit law, the convenience standard allows any retailer with a redemption center within 10 miles for counties with a population greater than 30,000, or 15 miles for counties with a population less than 30,000 to refuse to accept beverage containers.

National Association of Convenience Stores

The 2022 Energy Marketers of America (EMA), and the National Association of Convenient Stores (NACS) held meetings Friday, September 30th through Tuesday, October 4, 2022, in Las Vegas Nevada. I attended my first NACS conference. I was overwhelmed by the number of participants and the huge diversity of food products and services. The conference was a truly spectacular in size, scope, participation from a global com munity. I enjoyed the quality of the events, the delivery of information, and the commitment to move the convenience store industry forward through community service. There were approximately 40,000 partic ipants from across the nation and internationally.

By Ronald N. Langston, President & CEO, FUELIowa

The message was clear, the convenience store of the future will provide a full array of services from a mix brand of fuel products to high-quality sit-down restaurant services.

The footprint of convenience stores will expand, and electric vehicle charges will drive many of the changes.

in the quality of like of local commu nities worldwide. Convenience stores contribute over $1 billion dollars annual to charitable causes.

The NACS general sessions were infor mative and hugely attended. Each morning included education sessions by NACS economists and specialist in various fields. There was a panel discussion on “Time to Act: Addressing Swipe Fees during the EMA education al session. This topic was also front and center at the NACS general sessions. Senators Dick Durbin (d) Illinois, and Marshall Thompson, (R), Kansas who have sponsored the Credit Card Swipe Competition Act. This is a major legis lative priority supported by NACS and EMA.

Another key theme of the conference focused service to the community. The convenience store is a community store provided essential service, but more importantly playing a critical role

The EMA meetings were equally infor mative and began with an introduc tory industry overview by Dr. Henry Armour, President, and CEO of NACS. He noted managing the supply chain will be a challenge due to shortage of truck drivers to move cargo to supply shelves at convenience stores. There were interesting EMA panels: “Thriving in the Age of Digital Convenience and EV& Fuel Policy: Catching a Wave or Wipeout.

FEATURE EVENTS

A thought-provoking assessment of the 2022 midterm elections generat ed a lot of questions and possibilities in several close House and Senate races, most notably in the states of Pennsylvania and Georgia. A political consultant and strategist noted the Democrats have a single-issue strategy centered on abortion. The Republican are countering on concerns about late term abortion and parental consent. Additionally, the issues of inflation and the economy appear to be uppermost on voters’ minds.

Glenn Hasken chaired the EMA Fuel Committee which focused on the challenges and concerns of proposed federal rules establishing the appropri ate size footprint for EV charging sta tions nationally. EMA is very concerned about federal rules and guidelines that may adversely impact fuel retailers nationally.

EMA expanded and renamed its north central regional to include Oklahoma, and Missouri as the Central Region (Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minne sota, Ohio, Indiana).

Attending both the EMA and NACS conferences proved to be a very edu cational and networking events. I look forward to building relationships and opportunities for the FUELIowa mem bership and association.

Concern was expressed about state utilities and regional power companies with the potential to act as conglom erates or monopolies to promote and control the EVs energy market and charge for services.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

NOVEMBER 20-26

ROUND UP FOR CAMP COURAGEOUS

Your Local Retailer

FUELIowa hosts their annual Round Up for Camp Courageous on the week of Thanksgiving each year. Your donations will benefit Camp Courageous during this week at participating marketers and convenience stores. Posters will be displayed in the windows of those participating. The poster can be found on the adjacent page.

JANUARY 10, 2023

ANNUAL MEETING & WELCOME BACK LEGISLATIVE RECEPTION

Embassy Suites, Des Moines, IA

The Annual Meeting is our signature kick-off event for 2023 focused on in dustry issues and association initiatives. We start with a luncheon followed by a full agenda. There will a Legislative Briefing from our Lobbyist, Marc Bel trame to prepare you for the Welcome Back Legislator Reception. Learn about the legislative & association priorities for the coming year, network with industry leaders, enjoy our featured speakers, industry awards, and more.

APRIL 17-19, 2023

UPPER MIDWEST CONVENIECE STORE & ENERGY CONVENTION

St. Paul, MN

UMCS is simply the best trade show, networking and educational event for the Fuel and C-store industry in the Upper Midwest. With the combined power of the state associations of both Minnesota and Iowa, UMCS is the larg est show in the Upper Midwest, bringing more than 2,000 professionals together in a fun and relaxing atmosphere.

Visit www.fueliowa.com and select “Training and Events” to register. To sponsor an event, call FUELIowa at 515-224-7545 or email jim@fueliowa.com

Round-up your purchase in support of Camp Courageous of Iowa.

CAMP COURAGEOUS OF IOWA is a year-round respite care and recreational facility for individuals of all ages with disabilities. The camp was established in 1972 with the first 211 campers attending in the summer of 1974. Today, Camp Courageous serves over 9,000 individuals with disabilities in a year-round program.

FUELIowa members support Camp Courageous of Iowa in their e orts to bolster individuals with disabilities.

Round-up your purchase in support of Camp Courageous of Iowa.

CAMP COURAGEOUS OF IOWA

is a year-round respite care and recreational facility for individuals of all ages with disabilities. The camp was established in 1972 with the first 211 campers attending in the summer of 1974. Today, Camp Courageous serves over 9,000 individuals with disabilities in a year-round program.

FUELIowa members support Camp Courageous of Iowa in their e orts to bolster individuals with disabilities.

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FUELIOWA PAC CONTRIBUTION

CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Name Address City Zip E-mail

State

CONTRIBUTION AMOUNT

 Bill Me*

$

*Contributions not drawn on personal funds will automatically be contributed to the FUELIowa Political Education Fund (PEF).

BILLING ADDRESS

Billing Address

different from above address)

MEMBER HAPPENINGS

WELCOME NEW FUELIOWA MEMBERS

Ehlinger's Vinton Express 66

A long history of local service in the Vinton community.

Loess Hills Country Corner LLC

Providing fuel, groceries, and café dining to Pisgah and surrounding area for over 20 years.

FUELIOWA MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

CASEY’S GENERAL STORES RECEIVES FIRST-EVER CONVENIENCE STORE NEWS CORPORATE EMPOWERMENT AWARD AT 9TH ANNUAL TOP WOMEN IN CONVENIENCE AWARDS GALA ENSEMBLEIQ

Courtesy of Globe Newswire

a gender-balanced board. In addition, within the last two years, Casey’s hired the company’s first female Chief Oper ating Officer, and its Chief Legal Officer is female.

Across the company, 60 percent of Casey’s team members identify as fe male, and nearly 25 percent of supervi sory roles are female.

Rocket Fuels & Food Mart

Ottumwa, IA Valley Propane

Serving the Burlington area with propane exchange services.

Atlas Oil Company

Offers single-source solutions for fuel, transportation and logistics and is one of the largest fuel dis tributors in the country.

Kyle Frerick's Propane

Looking forward to a long future of supplying the local communities with propane service.

EnsembleIQ's Convenience Store News honored Casey’s General Stores Inc. with its first-ever Top Women in Convenience (TWIC) Corporate Em powerment Award at the 9th Annual Convenience Store News Top Women in Convenience Awards Gala in Las Vegas, NV on October 2.

The new award honors the conve nience retail company’s commitment to gender equality and promoting female leadership and advancement. Casey’s received the TWIC Corporate Empowerment Award alongside 91 Top Women in Convenience honorees from both the supplier and retailer sides of the convenience store industry.

"Casey’s is committed to building upon the gender balance and diversity it has achieved to date. One-third of Casey’s Extended Leadership team (Vice Presi dents and above) and half of its Board of Directors identify as female," said Don Longo, Editorial Director Emeritus, CSNews.

The nomination period was February through April 2022 and was open to any organization that paves the road to empower women in leadership roles and is a champion for the inclusion of women in the goals and vision of the enterprise. Examples include advance ments in board membership, promo tions leading to senior management positions, and relevant professional development.

BLESSING THE COMMUNITY: HUNDREDS LINE UP FOR FREE GAS AT DITTMER'S IN DAVENPORT

Courtesy of Quad City Times

Kings Harvest Ministries in Davenport set aside $4,000 to help make filling gas tanks a little easier for some. Director Terri Gleize said the money was left by Pastor Jim Swope, who previously ran Timothy's House of Hope. Swope died in October 2021.

In recent years, Casey’s has exerted its efforts to build a diverse team, includ ing an emphasis on gender equality. They have achieved a 50/50 Board of Directors, making Casey’s one of only 6 percent of Russell 3000 companies with

"We are trying to bless the community," she said. "With gas prices so high, we thought this was a great way to help people."

Gleize said she has heard from many community members that gas prices are making it tough for them to make ends meet. They chose to team up

with Dittmer's at 1356 W. Locust St. in Davenport, where multiple employees stood behind cash registers, trying to keep up with demand.

Manager Billy Dittmer said they chose to help out because they've been part of the community too long not to give back. Dittmer and his team diligently rang up receipts as more and more cars pulled in. They were servicing about 10 cars every five minutes, he said.

One of those drivers who took advan tage of the free gas was Lewis Wood. He pulled into a different gas station, but once he heard about the dona tion, he quickly turned around. Wood said he waited two hours in line, but it was well worth it.

"This is great," he said. "Now I can eat and don't have to worry about it." Helping fill up gas tanks Tuesday was William Brackett. An employee at King's Harvest, Brackett said he volunteered to pump gas because the community is so good about helping others and he wanted to be part of that positivity. Brackett arrived at the gas station at 6 a.m. and said all the feedback he heard was positive so far. That includes Beverly Hall, who waited nearly twoand-a-half hours in line.

Hall said she was awoken by a call from her sister, who was sharing the good news. After dropping her niece off at school, she immediately got in line.

"This has helped me out a lot. Now I can go buy more food," she said. "This is such a blessing."

FUELIOWA ON THE ROAD

FUELIowa staff made a “Kwik Trip” up to La Crosse, Wisconsin to visit the Kwik Trip/Kwik Star headquarters. The focus on safety, dedication to co-workers and guests is impressive. Also impressive….the famous bananas room!

INSIDE THE BELTWAY ENERGY MARKETERS OF AMERICA

TSA GRANTS RENEWAL EXEMPTION FOR TRUCK DRIVERS WITH HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ENDORSEMENT

Yesterday the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced it will temporarily exempt the TSA Security Threat Assessment (STA) requirement for Hazardous Material Endorsement (HME) holders whose endorsements expired or will expire before the end of calendar year.

The HME Threat Assessment Program conducts a threat assessment for any driver seeking to obtain, renew and transfer a hazardous materials endorse ment on a state-issued commercial driver’s license. TSA determined that it is in the public interest to grant a temporary exemption for commer cial truck drivers renewing their HME. Those drivers have previously passed the threat assessment. Supply chain requirements have increased the demand for drivers with a valid HME, and increased HME enrollments have extended adjudication times for some drivers. This announcement supports motor carriers and the trucking indus try who require qualified operators to transport hazardous materials. Also, this announcement eases the requirement that current HME holders renew their threat assessment before the expiration of their current HME.

materials during this time period,” said TSA Acting Administrator David Pe koske. “The commercial truck drivers impacted by this decision are subject to recurrent vetting during the exemp tion period, and their businesses will continue to provide safe and efficient transportation.”

Currently, there are 250,000 truck drivers with security threat assessments that have expired or are set to expire in 2022. About 22,500 truckers’ security threat assessments expire each month. For the duration of this exemption, states may extend the expiration date for a period of up to 180 days for all HME credentials that expire between July 1, 2022 and December 27, 2022.

TSA published a similar temporary exemption for HME renewals on April 8, 2020 to provide regulatory relief during the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure full capacity of authorized drivers were available to support an uninterrupted supply chain.

gress urging support for the Credit Card Competition Act. The letter, which included signatories from 230 state, regional and national industry groups including EMA and all EMA member associations, emphasized how the leg islation would help fix a broken market that has allowed Wall Street mega banks and global card networks to block competition and unfairly profit at the expense of Main Street merchants and American families for far too long.

Led by Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS), the bipartisan “The Credit Card Competition Act,” (S.4674) would ensure retailer choice in pay ment routing by requiring at least two unaffiliated processors on credit cards, the same process that is used for debit card transactions. Swipe fees remain the second highest operating cost for convenience stores which costs the industry $138 billion. EMA will continue to work with industry partners to urge passage of the legislation before years end.

“This exemption allows state licensing agencies to permit those with expiring, or recently expired hazardous material endorsements to remain fully autho rized by TSA to transport hazardous

MERCHANTS PAYMENTS COALITION URGES CONGRESS TO SUPPORT “CREDIT CARD COMPETITION ACT”

This week, the Merchant Payments Coalition (MPC) sent a letter to Con

LAWMAKERS URGE PRESIDENT BIDEN TO DENY “CALIFORNIA CAR MANDATE”

Lawmakers sent a letter to the Presi dent urging him to reject California’s

FUELIowa not only keeps you informed in Iowa but on a federal level as well by partnering with our national organization, EMA. If it will impact you, we’ve got you covered.

forthcoming request for a waiver that would require 35 percent of all new light-duty vehicle sales to be electrified by 2026, followed by a 100 percent re quirement by 2035. This means that by 2035, automakers would be prohibited from selling new vehicles that contain conventional internal combustion engines (ICEs). For this ban to go into effect, California will need to obtain from the U.S. EPA a waiver of Clean Air Act (CAA) preemption provisions. They urged the president to reject Califor nia’s forthcoming request for the CAA waiver due to widespread concerns for the negative impact it will have on the electric grid, the need for additional power generation, the overreliance on foreign adversaries for critical minerals, and the right of Americans to choose for themselves which vehicles they wish to drive.

• Increase Americans’ utility bills to subsidize a massive expansion of the electricity grid for EV charging

• Threaten the viability and jobs of small business energy marketers around the country, whether they deliver gasoline and diesel or renewable fuels like ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.

court overturns the waiver as request ed by EMA, California is likely to lose the authority it claims to ban gasoline powered vehicles in the State. If that happens, any state attempting to adopt the California ban will lose their authority to act as well.

Separate from the current court ac tion, EMA opposes California's waiver request for gasoline-powered vehicle ban. If EPA does not have the authority under the Clean Air Act to ban gaso line-powered vehicles, it is difficult to see how it can allow California to exer cise such authority under the statute.

Every American will be impacted by this ban, whether they are in one of the 15 states that copies California vehicle laws or whether they are a consumer looking to buy an affordable new pickup truck in the next few years. California needs a waiver from EPA to enact this regulation and ban gasoline and diesel vehicle sales. EPA needs to deny this waiver.

If California’s ban moves forward, it will:

COURT ACTION TO STOP THE “CALIFORNIA CAR MANDATE”

EMA has been actively engaged in the fight against banning gasoline pow ered vehicles since California Governor Gavin Newsom authorized the ban in a 2020 executive order. On May 13, 2022, EMA filed a petition with a federal Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., asking the court to review the Biden Administration’s restoration of the Clean Air Act waiver allowing Califor nia to set its own air standards.

• Outlaw the sale of new clean internal combustion engine vehicles (even hy brids) in up to 15 states and the District of Columbia

• Raise the price and reduce the availability of gasoline and diesel cars in other states

That waiver was revoked by the Trump administration in 2019. The EMA petition was filed to challenge the restoration of the waiver on various grounds, including that California does not require the more stringent standards to meet any extraordinary or compelling conditions that are unique to Califor nia as the Clean Air Act requires. If the

RISK MANAGEMENT

By Risk Improvement Department, EMC Insurance Companies, Des Moines, Iowa

Preventing the Shock of Your Life: Safe Loading of Delivery Vehicle

Static electricity (or, scientifically speaking, a difference in electrical potential between two objects) is a serious concern for anyone who moves flammable liquids from one container to another. Not sure why you should be worried? Picture that zap you get when you drag your feet on a carpeted floor, then touch a doorknob or another per son. It’s not a big deal, but it sure gets your attention.

That little jolt is actually a spark that’s created when your electrical charge (built up by your feet drag ging on the carpet) equalizes with the other object’s charge. Now, picture that spark occurring while you stand in a cloud of flammable fuel vapor while filling a tanker. That is a much bigger deal, and it’s likely to get the attention of any one within earshot.

Static Electricity While Loading

It may seem like weird science, but static electricity is created by a build-up of differently charged ions

that occurs naturally when objects (including liquids and gases) move against one another.

This type of build-up can take place when liquid products are top-loaded into tanks. The buildup can produce a static electrical spark between the loading nozzle and the tank opening or cover.

If flammable vapors are present when the spark occurs, you might have a front row seat to an explo sion or a fire.

Preventing Static Build-Up

To minimize the risk of a static-ig nited incident, it’s important to use a static bonding cable when transferring flammable or combus tible liquids between containers (at temperatures above the flash points of the liquids). The static bonding/grounding cable should be connected to the load piping, tanks and a metal stake installed at least 7 feet into the earth.

Using the Cable Correctly

The bonding cable is designed to equalize the static electrical charge and prevent a static spark. Before loading tank vehicles through open dome covers, make a bonding connection between

the loading tank and the vehicle/ tank before dome covers are raised.

The connection should remain in place until filling is complete and all dome covers have been closed and secured.

More Fire Prevention Tips

Hopefully your drivers are already correctly bonding and grounding their trucks every time they fill. For extra credit, make sure you’re also following these other fire preven tion practices:

• Remove (or strictly control) ignition sources within 25 feet of all areas where fuel transfer oper ations occur, and where vehicles are driven or repaired.

• Equip all bulk fuel plants and tank trucks with fire extinguishers (minimum rating of 40 B:C).

• Post “no smoking” signs at the loading rack, unloading risers, tanks and at all access points throughout the plant. Then enforce this rule whenever you see it being violated.

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