Rep. Pete Sessions Honored With AOCA Automotive Service Industry Champion Award

Several Congressmen and EPA Officials Attend AOCA Awards Ceremony in Washington

DALLAS, Sept. 20 -- U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions (R-32nd/TX) was presented with the Automotive Oil Change Association's (AOCA) Automotive Service Industry Champion Award at the AOCA's annual Congressional reception held this year on September 14th at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC. Making the presentation to Rep. Sessions was Steve Christie, Executive Director of the AOCA.

"It is a privilege to present this award to Congressman Sessions," said Christie. "He has been at the forefront of helping small business owners across the country and has been extremely helpful to the AOCA in establishing an official Superfund Service Station Dealer Exemption application process for environmentally-responsible small business automotive service facilities. This award shows our appreciation for all his efforts."

In addition to Rep. Sessions, other congressmen in attendance at the reception included Rep. Henry E. Brown Jr. (R-1st-SC), Rep. Michael Capuano (D-8th-MA) and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-49th-CA). The EPA's Office of Site Remediation and Enforcement, the office responsible for creating and implementing the Superfund Service Station Dealer exemption application process, was represented at the reception by Director Susan Bromm and Attorney-Advisor Susan Boushell.

The Superfund Service Station Dealer exemption is a public policy exemption intended to protect environmentally responsible automotive service center facilities, like fast lubes, that collect and manage do-it-yourselfer (DIY) used oil from the public. The fast lube industry alone collects over a million gallons of DIY used oil annually. The exemption covers only off-site pollution caused by a third party.

The Dallas-based Automotive Oil Change Association is a non-profit trade organization representing the convenient automotive maintenance industry. AOCA is dedicated to enhancing the competency of fast lube owners, educating the public about services their members offer, and maintaining a favorable business environment for the industry as a whole. For more information on AOCA, visit http://www.aoca.org/ or call (800) 331-0329.