Case No. RF272-96300

August 7, 1997

DECISION AND ORDER

OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Applications for Refund

Names of Petitioners:Branson R-IV School District, et al.

Dates of Filings: June 10, 1994, et al.

Case Numbers: RF272-96300, et al.

This Decision and Order considers and ultimately grants seven Applications for Refund, releasing a total of $2,421 in the Subpart V crude oil refund proceeding. The names of the seven applicants are set forth in the Appendix to this Decision and Order. Each Applicant purchased refined petroleum products during the period August 19, 1973 through January 27, 1981 and each has requested a refund from crude oil monies available for disbursement by the Office of Hearings and Appeals of the Department of Energy pursuant to the Statement of Modified Restitutionary Policy In Crude Oil Cases, 51 Fed. Reg. 27899 (August 4, 1986). Each Applicant relies on the presumption of injury for end-users as the basis for its refund claim. Under this presumption, OHA will presume applicants were injured if they were end-users of petroleum products and were not covered by the DOE or its predecessors’ price controls. City of Columbus, Georgia, 16 DOE ¶ 85,550 (1987).

We have reviewed the information submitted by all seven applicants and determined that each was an end-user of eligible petroleum products. Each of the applicants listed in the Appendix derived its purchase volume claim by consulting actual records or by using reasonable estimation techniques. (1) 1/ After considering each Application carefully, we have concluded that refunds are warranted for the purchase volumes and in the amounts set forth in the Appendix attached to the Decision. 2/(2) The total volume for which refunds are approved in this Decision is 1,512,965 gallons and the sum of the refunds granted is $2,421.

The final deadline for the crude oil proceeding was June 30, 1995. It is the current policy of the DOE to pay eligible crude oil refund claimants at the rate of $0.0016 per gallon. We will decide after the resolution of a few outstanding enforcement proceedings whether sufficient funds are available for additional refunds.

It Is Therefore Ordered That:

(1) The Applications for Refund filed by the claimants listed in the Appendix to this Decision and Order for all available crude oil overcharge funds are hereby approved as set forth in Paragraph (2) below.

(2) The Director of Special Accounts and Payroll, Office of Departmental Accounting and Financial Systems Development, Office of the Controller, of the Department of Energy shall take appropriate action to disburse the refund amounts set forth in the Appendix to this Decision and Order from the DOE deposit fund escrow account maintained at the Department of the Treasury denominated Crude Tracking-Claimants IV, Account No. 999DOE010Z, to the applicants’ representative, Petroleum Funds, Inc. Refund checks totaling $2,421 shall be sent to the Petroleum Funds, Inc., at the following address:

Ms. Bobbie Brown

Petroleum Funds, Inc.

P.O. Box 1380

Paris, TN 38242-9986

(3) To facilitate the payment of future refunds, the applicants shall notify the Office of Hearings and Appeals in the event that there is a change in its address, or if an address correction is necessary.

Such notification shall be sent to:

Director of Management Information

Office of Hearings and Appeals

Department of Energy

1000 Independence Avenue, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20585-0107

(4)The determinations made in this Decision and Order are based upon the presumed validity of the statements and documentary material submitted by the applicants. This Decision and Order

may be revoked or modified at any time upon a determination that the basis underlying the refund application is incorrect.

(5) This is a final Order of the Department of Energy.

George B. Breznay

Director

Office of Hearings and Appeals

Date: August 7, 1997

(1)All of the Applications under consideration were filed by Petroleum Funds, Inc., a private filing service located in Paris, Tennessee.

(2)Interested parties were given an opportunity to submit comments regarding individual crude oil refund applications. No such comments were filed with respect to any application involved in this determination.


Appendix
CASE NO. APPLICANT FIRM CONTACT VOLUME REFUND
RF272-96300 BRANSON R-IV SCHOOL DIST. OR PETROLEUM FUNDS, INC. C/O KENT HOFFPAUIR 452,463 $724
RF272-96324 KINGSLAND SCHOOL DIST. OR PETROLEUM FUNDS, INC. C/O SAMMY HARTWICK 255,518 $409
RF272-96333 CITY OF LEMON GROVE OR PETROLEUM FUNDS, INC. C/O LEILA V. BISCOCHO 41,850 $67
RF272-96336 LELAND SCHOOL DIST. OR PETROLEUM FUNDS, INC. C/O BARBARA MASSEY 60,412 $97
RF272-96337 INDIANA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF OR PETROLEUM FUNDS, INC. C/O FAYE SLOAN 89,645 $143
RF272-96338 HIGHLAND FALLS CENTRAL SCHOOL OR PETROLEUM FUNDS, INC. C/O CLEMENT H. AIDONE 116,941 $187
RF272-96339 OCEAN SPRINGS SCHOOL DIST. OR PETROLEUM FUNDS, INC. C/O ROBERT COWNS 496,136 $794
Totals: 7     1,512,965 $2,421
           


Last Updated on 8/13/97
By OHA