Washington State's Energy Retailers Target Oil Speculators

Petroleum and Heating Oil Dealers Call Attention to Wall Street
Speculators' Role in High Prices
SEATTLE--(Business Wire)--
The Washington Oil Marketers Association (WOMA) is joining the
Petroleum Marketers Association of America (PMAA) to roll out a line
of consumer education materials that point to Wall Street speculators
who it claims are driving the cost of oil and natural gas to record
heights, at the expense of American families and businesses.

"The materials will be distributed to consumers throughout the
state of Washington," explained Lea Wilson, executive director of
WOMA. "They will shine a light on the markets used by speculators to
drive up the price of energy in pursuit of record profits while
pushing our economy to the brink of disaster. We think that the more
consumers know about what is going on in the energy markets, the more
outraged they will become."

Consumer education materials include brochures, counter cards and
pump-top signs that will be distributed to gas stations and other
energy retail outlets throughout Washington. For example, the counter
card display reads: "Hedge funds and investment bankers are gaming the
system, using loopholes to drive up the cost of energy and reap record
profits. Learn how you can fight back." The materials urge consumers
to visit www.stopoilspeculators.com to send a message to Congress and
the White House to urge reform.

"The data conclusively shows that the dramatic escalation in oil
prices has more to do with speculators than physical supply and demand
issues," said Gerry Ramm, a senior executive of Inland Oil Co. in
Ephrata, Washington and 2008 Treasurer of PMAA who testified before
the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation of the United
States Senate on June 3, 2008. "We are providing consumers with
information about rising oil prices and suggesting that they contact
their congressional representatives to fight back against oil
speculators and control runaway oil prices."

For more information, visit www.stopoilspeculators.com.

The Washington Oil Marketers Association (WOMA) is a non-profit
trade association which protects the business interests of heating oil
dealers, petroleum distributors, jobbers and transporters throughout
Washington State.

Washington Oil Marketers Association
Lea Wilson, Executive Director
Office: 360-443-6696
Cell: 206-718-7662
lea@pnwoilheat.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008