OPMCA Connection
Keeping You Informed!


OPMCA Connection keeps you informed and current on regulations from all state and national agencies as well as laws pertaining to the petroleum marketing/c-store industry.
OPMCA STAFF

Candace McGinnis
Executive Director  
Candace@opmca4you.com 

Hannah May
Director of Member Services  
Hannah@opmca4you.com

OPMCA  
6420 N. Santa Fe, Suite B
Oklahoma City, OK 73116
Phone: (405) 842-6625 
(800) 256-5013 
Fax: (405) 842-9562
2021-2022 Board of Directors

Jason Flinn, Chairman
Flowers Oil Company
jflinn@bellsouth.net


Jerry Davidson
Pete's Corporation
jerry.davidson@petescorp.com


Teresa Hollenbeck
Red Rock Distributing Company
thollenbeck@redrockdist.com


Kurtis Hutchinson,  
 Hutchinson Oil Company
khutchinson@hutchinsonoil.com


Scott Minton
OnCue Marketing, LLC
s_minton@oncueexpress.com


Alex Williams
Hammer Williams Company/Jiffy Trip
awilliams@jiffytrip.com
2021-2022 Legislative Committee
Brian Lohman, Legislative Committee Chairman
ASAP Energy, Inc.
brian@asapenergyinc.com

Terri Roberts
Oklahoma Environmental Services
Terri.Roberts@oeservices.net

Tom Kirby
Love's Travel Stops and Country Stores
tom.kirby@loves.com
2021-2022 Board Meeting Dates
We encourage members to reach out to the board if they have any topics they would like discussed or attend a meeting. All board meetings will be held in person at the OPMCA office at 12pm.

Tuesday, August 10, 2021

Tuesday, November 9, 2021
*This meeting will be in conjunction with the Round Table Meetings

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Tuesday, April 12, 2022
PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE
2021 OPMCA FALL OUTING!
Sept. 13-14, 2021
Shangri-La Golf Club and Resort
The 2021 OPMCA Fall Outing will be hosted at Shangri-La resort on Monday, Sept. 13th and Tuesday, Sept. 14th. Members will enjoy two days of golfing, a yacht charter cruise, as well as a fun evening filled with activities. We ask that you please register in advance, we hope to see you then!
  • Click Here to View all EMA Coronavirus Related Resources for Petroleum Marketers Including all Regulatory Reports

  • Click HERE to View the Latest Coronavirus Resources Provided NACS Relating to Convenience Stores as Essential Businesses
Thursday, July 15, 2021
  • D&H United Acquires Petroleum Marketers Equipment Company

  • FEDERAL APPEALS COURT STRIKES DOWN RULE

  • Reminder: Energy Marketers of America Regulatory Compliance Deadlines

  • EMA Again Joins Coalition in Letter Opposing Minimum Liability Insurance Increase

  • President Biden to Propose Stringent MPG Standards Designed to Speed-up Transition to EVs

  • EMA’S Fall Meeting at the NACS Show 2021 Registration is Now Open!
D&H United Acquires Petroleum Marketers Equipment Company
Acquisition Expands Resources and Coverage Areas

HOUSTON, July 1, 2021- D&H United Fueling Solutions, the leading supplier of petroleum fuel system equipment, installation, and service in the Southwest, announced today that it has acquired Petroleum Marketers Equipment Company of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Petroleum Marketers is a full-service petroleum industry supplier covering the state of Oklahoma and northern Texas with branches in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Dallas-Ft. Worth. The combined companies will have approximately 350 team members, including 230 field technicians with 12 branches operating in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana and Arkansas.


Bo Sasnett, CEO of D&H United Fueling Solutions, stated, “We are very excited to welcome Bryan Newcomb and the Petroleum Marketer’s team to the D&H United family. We have a deep respect for their team and the 50+ year history and reputation in our industry. Our companies have a similar family-oriented culture with a focus on providing excellent service to our customers. Together, we will provide greater scale, resources and coverage for both our customers and vendor partners.”


Bryan Newcomb, President of Petroleum Marketers added, “We are extremely pleased to join the D&H United team. I could not think of a better fit for our company. D&H United has similar values and culture and is a perfect match with our geographic coverage areas. The combination provides the largest coverage area in the Southwest for both our team and customers.”


Newcomb added “It has been a privilege and honor to serve our customers for the last 52 years. We are very excited about the acquisition of PMECo by D&H United and together we look forward to providing additional resources that are needed to help us serve all our customers’ needs in the fuel industry. Going forward, Petroleum Marketers Equipment Co. will continue to operate under the same name, until the eventual transition to D&H United. All management staff, service and construction technicians, counter sales, outside sales and environmental staff will remain the same for the foreseeable future.” Bryan Newcomb, the previous owner of PMECo, will remain on staff as the new Vice President of operations for both offices in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Bryan can be reached at 405-235-4471 or bnewcomb@pmgroupcos.com.


In February 2020, KLH Capital partnered with D&H United’s management team to recapitalize and continue the growth path of the company. “D&H United’s services are an essential infrastructure business located throughout the growing sunbelt of the Southwest. We are excited to continue to support the Company’s vision and expansion with the acquisition of Petroleum Marketers,” said James Darnell, Partner at KLH Capital.


For more information contact breichhold@dh-united.com or visit www.dh-united.com


About D&H United Fueling Solutions
D&H United Fueling Solutions is the leading supplier of petroleum fuel system equipment, installation, and service in the Southwest. The company has 350 employees and is an authorized distributor and service provider for Gilbarco Veeder-Root as well as other major equipment brands.
FEDERAL APPEALS COURT STRIKES DOWN RULE
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit scrapped EPA’s Trump-era rule authorizing the use of E15 during the summer driving season. In a unanimous opinion issued July 2, the three-judge panel struck down EPA’s interpretation of Clean Air Act language relating to waivers from summertime RVP limits. EPA’s original interpretation of the one-pound per square inch RVP waiver applied to E10 fuel only. The Trump administration reinterpreted the language in a 2019 rulemaking so that the one-pound waiver extended to E15 blends as well. However, the court found that the EPA misinterpreted the statutory language and ruled that the one-pound waiver cannot be extended to blends higher than E10.

The opinion effectively blocks the summertime sale of E15 fuel in non-RFG areas. The ruling deals a blow to biofuel producers who hoped the 2019 rule would boost E15 market share and reopen shuttered ethanol processing facilities. This is the second substantial legal loss for the biofuels industry in as many weeks. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld EPA’s authority to issue extensions of small refiner waivers from blending mandates under the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). The two rulings will significantly slow the penetration of higher content ethanol blends into the retail market. In addition, the rulings mean fewer obligated parties will be participating in the RINs market. Fewer parties chasing fewer blending credits will result in significantly lower RIN prices. This in turn, this will calm current volatility in the RINs market where prices have soared since the summertime E15 rule was issued. The court however, did not go beyond its analysis of the Clean Air Act waiver language and address small gasoline retailer arguments that the E15 rule would force them to sell E15 and be saddled with undue and onerous compliance burdens.

It is not clear how the court ruling will affect E15 sales this year now that the summer driving season has arrived. There is typically a short period of legal limbo after such decisions by federal appeals courts to allow the losing parties time to file for a rehearing of a three-judge ruling before all active judges in the circuit. In this case, there are currently 11 active judges in the District Columbia Circuit. However, a rehearing is unlikely because such proceedings are generally disfavored by the court and require a majority of active judges within the circuit to approve.

Reminder: Energy Marketers of America Regulatory Compliance Deadlines
  • Click here to read EMA’s Compliance Bulletin regarding Annual HAZMAT Registration for Expiring Certificates
  • Click here to read EMA’s Compliance Bulletin regarding Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax for Vehicles
  • For vehicles first used on a public highway in July, file Form 2290 between July 1 and August 31.
  • For vehicles first used on a public highway after July, file Form 2290 by the last day of the month following the month in which you first used the vehicle on a public highway. The tax for the current filing season is prorated for vehicles first used on a public highway after July.


EMA Again Joins Coalition in Letter Opposing Minimum Liability Insurance Increase
At the beginning of July, EMA joined a coalition in a letter to members and staff of the House Rules Committee in support of the Rep. Bost (R-IL) Amendment #220.

The Bost Amendment, which was not included in the INVEST in America Act, would have eliminated Section 4408, a harmful and unnecessary minimum liability insurance increase for motor carriers, which would also jeopardize countless small and family-owned businesses, as well as blue collar jobs. Section 4408 would increase minimum liability insurance requirements for motor carriers by 167%, from the current level of $750,000 to $2,000,000. Federal research has demonstrated such a change is entirely unnecessary. Although the minimum increase would not directly impact petroleum carriers, it would set a precedent that could lead to an increase in requirements for marketers down the road.

Fortunately, the minimum liability insurance increase language is not included in the Senate bill and is unlikely to be added in the Senate. EMA will continue to oppose efforts to raise minimum liability insurance.


President Biden to Propose Stringent MPG Standards Designed to Speed-up Transition to EVs
The Biden administration is set to propose an ambitious two prong plan to reduce automobile greenhouse gas emissions designed to make electric cars the dominant vehicle sold in the United States. The plan is a key part of the administration’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent of 2005 levels by 2030. That goal would require a radical transformation of the nation’s economy away from fossil fuels, including a rapid shift to electric vehicles. Currently only two percent of the vehicles sold in the United States are electric.

The first prong of the plan would require automobile manufacturers to achieve a corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) of 51 mpg by 2026 in order to meet strict new tailpipe emission reductions. The proposed standard is more stringent than the 44-mpg target for 2026 set by the Trump administration. A follow-up MPG standard is being drafted to achieve even tougher tailpipe emission reductions through 2032. The plan is designed to force automobile makers to build more EVs to meet rapidly escalating CAFE requirements. If the plan is to succeed, it must win over both automakers and consumers. This will require, a massive investment for EV fueling infrastructure together with generous tax incentives for both EV manufacturers and EV purchasers.


However, the latest version of the $579 billion bipartisan infrastructure bill, now endorsed by the 58-member Problem Solvers Caucus, provides just seven billion dollars of the total $174 billion needed to fund the 500,000 changing stations required to make the transition to EVs possible. The bipartisan bill is paid for through a combination of increased tax enforcement, user fees, re-purposed Covid19 relief funds and incentives for private investment. It does not include a gas tax increase or EV registration fees. The 58-member Problem Solvers Caucus also bucked Speaker Pelosi and progressive democrats and called for a stand-alone vote in the House instead of linking any House approval of the bipartisan deal to Senate passage of a later, larger corporate and individual tax and social spending budget bill. Meanwhile, the EPA and U.S. DOT expect to issue a proposed rule for the first round of new tailpipe emission standards this summer.


EMA’S Fall Meeting at the NACS Show 2021 Registration is Now Open!
EMA will hold its Fall Meeting in conjunction with the NACS Show on October 4-5 at the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile. The EMA meeting will begin with a New Attendee Orientation mid-afternoon on October 4 followed by the Federal Legislative Update. NACS/EMA Reception Salute to State Association Executives and EMA Chair Aaron Littlefield (all EMA members are welcome) will follow at the InterContinental Hotel. On the morning of October 5, there will be a Buffet Breakfast followed by Region and Committee Meetings. The EMA Board of Directors meeting is scheduled after the Distinguished Service Award Luncheon honoring North Dakota Marketer Matt Bjornson sponsored by EMA Corporate Platinum Partner Federated Insurance.

You can find all available details here from how to make your hotel reservations through NACS Housing to viewing the Conference Schedule and registering with secure event payment processing. If you have attended an EMA Conference in the past, you will receive an invitation through Cvent system next week. Responding to this event email is the recommended method to register or decline.

Registration is open for the 2021 NACS Show to be held October 5-8 in Chicago at McCormick Place and is separate from the EMA Meeting Registration.

NEW FOR ALL EMA MEMBERS:
If you click here when registering for the show and enter the promo code EMA2021NS you will be assisting the Energy Marketers of America (EMA) and your state member association considerably. By promoting registration using this unique code amongst our marketer members, both EMA and your state member association will receive an increase in revenue, as each registration using that code will deliver a financial gain to these organizations that will be shared between them.

The NACS Show continues to be an important networking and educational trade show to advance your businesses and our industry, and we encourage you to share this information with your state’s member companies, particularly those who have attended the NACS Show in previous years, in order to benefit EMA and your state association. 


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