The state Plant Board has fined the cities of Little Rock and North Little Rock $800 each for failing for the second consecutive year to have state-required annual inspections and permits for the cities' compressed natural gas fueling stations.
Compressed natural gas is known by the abbreviation CNG.
Both cities received warning letters for the first offense in 2015. The fines are for the second offense in 2016.
The cities are to arrange the inspections and calibrations annually by an accredited service agent acting as a third party, as are all types of fueling stations that are open to the public, said Tom Pugh, Arkansas Bureau of Standards director. The Plant Board is a division of the bureau.
Pugh said it is "my understanding" that both cities have current permits.
"The calibrations are to make sure the metering device is working properly, along with a number of safety functions that you need to have to operate properly," Pugh said Wednesday. "So it's both a metering and a safety issue.
"It's important because they are competing against retailers that are offering the same service for profit, whereas the cities operate as a nonprofit," Pugh said. "The cities were trying to promote the use of natural gas when that was a hot item. If we don't enforce this with the cities, the retailers for-profit get disturbed about it, as it is their competition."
Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola said Wednesday that he wasn't aware of the inspection failure or the imposed fine. City Manager Bruce Moore is on vacation and didn't respond to an email request for comment.
North Little Rock's inspection lapsed because the city had difficulty hiring a third-party inspector at an agreeable cost, city spokesman Nathan Hamilton said. The 2017 inspection and calibration cost $1,185, according to a copy of the invoice provided by the city.
"We're working hard to find someone who can inspect it annually at a reasonable price," Hamilton said.
North Little Rock's compressed natural gas fueling station, 320 Curtis Sykes Drive, opened in August 2011. Little Rock's station, 510 Ferry St., has operated since April 2014.
Metro on 03/30/2017