Service Station Dealers of America and Allied Trades
November 9, 2001 The Service Station Dealers of America and Allied Trades (SSDA-AT) strongly supports the incorporation of S. 1495 into pending Superfund and Brownfield's legislation. H.R. 2869. SSDA-AT is a 55-year old national association representing state and regional associations with a total membership in excess of 20,000 small businesses in 30 states, and individual members in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam. Members include operators of service stations, automotive repair facilities, and car washes. The committee on Environment and Public Works is considering legislation crucial to the small business automotive aftermarket nationwide: H.R 2869 and S. 1495. H.R. 2869 addresses Brownfield's and contains language exempting small business service stations and automotive repair facilities from the retroactive liability provision of Superfund for municipal landfills. This is an important bill, which we strongly support. Even more important to our members is the used oil exemption from the retroactive liability provision of Superfund found in S. 1495. The current provision is unfair and the law needs to be changed. As an example of the unfairness of the law, there is a Superfund site in Plaistow, New Hampshire where over 1400 automotive aftermarket small businesses throughout New England who disposed of used oil by the letter of law are now being held liable. One 68-year old widow whose husband was a dealer for 36 years, and who sold the station two years ago after his death, has received an assessment from EPA which is so great that she will have to drain all of her savings accounts and sell her house, and her husband did nothing wrong. The hauler was licensed and EPA approved the site. Dealers are involved in at least 27 of these Superfund sites nationwide, even though they complied fully with the law. Our message is clear:
This is perhaps our best opportunity to correct this unfair burden on the small business sector in this Congress. We thank you for your continued support of the small business automotive aftermarket industry and we urge you to adopt the language of both S. 1495 and H.R. 2869 into a truly meaningful Superfund reform bill. Thank you. Sincerely, Roy E. Littlefield Executive Vice President |