Cost of Crude Oil, Switch to Summer Blend Driving Gas Prices Up

Posted on March 31, 2017
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI

Gas prices are heading up. GasBuddy.com Senior Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHaan says Indiana and some other neighboring states have seen a notable jump in prices. “Prices in Indiana tend to engage in a price cycling behavior, we’ll call it, in which gas prices plummet and then proceed to spike,” he explains. “And that’s what we saw earlier this week with most stations going up to $2.39 a gallon on an account of a resurgence in the price of crude oil, which about a week ago was at about $47. [On Thursday] we saw crude oil prices breach $50.”

On top of that, gas prices are affected by seasonal refinery maintenance and the switch to summer gasoline. “That cleaner-burning gasoline generally costs more to produce, but perhaps the bigger challenge is that there’s over a dozen different types of summer gasoline in use across the county,” DeHaan says. “Not only is the cost of that summer gasoline higher, but certainly we feel a pinch from the logistical challenges behind supplying so many different varieties of summer gasoline, and unfortunately, as a result of those complexities, we generally pay a little bit more at the pump.” He says the yearly switch to summer gasoline is required by the Environmental Protection Agency.

DeHaan expects gas prices to continue to increase as summer approaches. “By and large, it’s likely that gas prices will continue to lurch forward every week or so,” he says, “and that could bring gas prices into the upper two-dollar-a-gallon range by Memorial Day weekend.”

Meanwhile, AAA has released a survey showing that nearly a quarter of consumers believe gas prices are already too high. AAA says that many American families still plan to take a road trip this summer, but will travel to closer destinations like national parks and theme parks.

State Officials Urge Testing for Potentially Deadly Gas

Posted on January 11, 2017
Author Mary Perren, WKVI

Hoosiers are urged to test their homes for a cancer-causing, radioactive gas during the month of January. Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

It’s responsible for an estimated 21,000 lung cancer deaths annually. Smokers who are exposed to especially high radon levels are at an especially high risk for lung cancer.

Radon is a tasteless, colorless and odorless radioactive gas that comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water. It seeps through cracks and gaps in floors, walls and construction joints and around service pipes. It accumulates in the air within homes and in drinking water. Radon can be found throughout the United States and can get into any type of building. The greatest exposure risk is at home, where people spend the majority of their time.

State Health Commissioner Dr. Jerome Adams says testing for radon helps to determine how high levels are so immediate action can be taken if necessary to reduce them. He adds it makes sense to test homes that are winterized since gases are sealed in.

The EPA estimates nearly one of every 15 homes in the United States has an elevated radon level. If a high level is detected, licensed contractors can install mitigation systems to eliminate the problem and protect residents.

Testing is the only way to determine your home’s radon level. Test kits are available at local hardware and home stores and can be done within a few minutes. Adams says Hoosiers should retest their homes every two years.

Find more information on the Indiana State Department of Health’s radon page.