PRINTER'S NO. 1659
No. 135 Session of 2000
INTRODUCED BY MELLOW, MUSTO, KASUNIC AND BOSCOLA,
FEBRUARY 8, 2000
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, FEBRUARY 8, 2000
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Urging the Governor to call a conference of Governors of the
2 other states of the northeastern seaboard to convene and
3 develop a plan to address the drastic price increases in home
4 heating oil and diesel fuel and to develop options to address
5 the adverse impact on the States' citizens.
6 WHEREAS, Retail prices of home heating oil and diesel fuel in
7 this Commonwealth and in the other states of the northeastern
8 seaboard, consisting of Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey and
9 New York, have drastically increased, nearly tripling, to
10 current record highs since January 1999; and
11 WHEREAS, The current supplies of home heating oil and diesel
12 fuel in this Commonwealth and other states of the northeastern
13 seaboard are currently exceptionally low; and
14 WHEREAS, The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
15 (OPEC) has expressed its desire to maintain the reductions
16 previously made in its members' petroleum exports and to seek
17 further cuts in the future; and
18 WHEREAS, The production of additional amounts of home heating
19 oil from the stocks of crude petroleum will result in decreased
1 levels of other petroleum products, which will likely
2 substantially increase the price of these petroleum products,
3 such as diesel fuel, gasoline and kerosene; and
4 WHEREAS, Substantial increases in the cost of other petroleum
5 products will result in detrimental economic consequences for
6 persons in the transportation industry in this Commonwealth and
7 in the other states of the northeastern seaboard; and
8 WHEREAS, While the high retail oil prices have adversely
9 affected the safety and the livelihood of the citizens of the
10 United States, the citizens of this Commonwealth and the other
11 states of the northeastern seaboard who have recently
12 experienced exceptionally cold winter weather during this winter
13 season have by necessity relied upon increasingly expensive home
14 heating oil to heat their homes through this winter; and
15 WHEREAS, The high retail prices of home heating oil will
16 disproportionately impact the citizens of this Commonwealth and
17 the other states of the northeastern seaboard who have low
18 incomes; therefore be it
19 RESOLVED (the House of Representatives concurring), That the
20 General Assembly urge the Governor of the Commonwealth of
21 Pennsylvania to call a conference of the Governors of the other
22 states of the northeastern seaboard, consisting of: Connecticut,
23 Delaware, New Jersey and New York to convene and address the
24 recent substantial price increases of home heating oil and
25 diesel fuel and to develop a plan to address the adverse impact
26 of such price increases on the safety and livelihood of the
27 citizens of this Commonwealth and the other states of the
28 northeastern seaboard; and be it further
29 RESOLVED, That the Governors' conference focus its
30 investigation and energies toward a determination whether the
20000S0135R1659 - 2 -
1 recent increases in the price of home heating oil and diesel
2 fuel have occurred as a result of expected market pressures or
3 as a result of a concerted effort on the part of the oil
4 companies to increase and maintain the level of oil prices.
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