Comer closes fuel testing lab to save money

Kentucky will shut down an expensive fuel testing lab run by the Department of Agriculture. The lab was meant to test the quality of fuel from pumps across the commonwealth. It was the brainchild of former Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer, who promised other states would eventually sign contracts with the lab and generate significant revenue…but those contracts never materialized and so far, the lab has been a money guzzler. Because of that, current Commissioner James Comer is shuttering the facility and outsourcing fuel testing to a private company. Comer expects to save money with the change. Comer says the change won't affect his office's responsibility of testing fuel and maintaining fuel pumps throughout the Commonwealth.