Commissioner Richie Farmer

At this writing, we expect to break ground for the state’s new motor fuel and pesticide laboratory soon. The facility will be located at Kentucky Department of Agriculture offices just outside Frankfort.

The Kentucky General Assembly approved funding of $1.65 million for construction of the lab in its 2006 session. Governor Ernie Fletcher kept that funding in the budget bill that he signed into law. I again want to thank the Governor and the legislature for this wise investment in Kentucky’s future.

The lab will help the Department do a better job of making sure the gasoline and diesel fuel you buy contains the octane level posted on the pump and is free of impurities. That’s important when fuel prices can shoot up in a flash due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control, as we all saw in the fall of 2005. Even now that fuel prices have softened a bit, it’s still expensive to drive. We want to make sure you get what you pay for at the pump.

The facility will enable the KDA to work with Kentucky biofuel producers to maintain their products to American Society for Testing and Materials standards, which will help that industry continue to grow. Biofuel production is skyrocketing nationwide. It already has strengthened corn and soybean prices, which is good news for Kentucky crop farmers. The biofuel industry will provide Kentucky growers a strong, stable market while reducing our nation’s dependence on foreign sources of energy. The Department strongly supports this important industry.

The lab will help the Department do a better job of supporting its pesticide regulatory programs, following up on complaints, and analyzing pesticide residues in the environment.

Finally, the lab will pay for itself in the long run. The KDA currently is paying an out-of-state lab to test motor fuels and pesticides, and the price keeps going up. We’ll save money by testing these products in-house. We also believe other agencies and other states will want to use our new lab to do their testing. The lab could open up a new revenue stream for the Department. Bottom line: We will be able to provide you more and better services for your tax dollar.

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture is a consumer protection and service agency. Motor fuel testing and pesticide testing are just two of the many ways we touch the life of every Kentuckian every day. When we cut the ribbon to open the lab, we’ll be able to serve you better.