Legislative, Regulatory & Legal

Slashing demand for gasoline is the only responsible way to fight soaring U.S. pump prices, environmentalists say.

Valero Energy Corp. and Ultramar Diamond Shamrock Corp. weren't the only two oil companies making merger news today as Williams Cos. Inc. agreed to buy oil and natural gas company Barrett Resources Corp. for approximately $2.5 billion in cash and stock.

The office of the Kremlin property manager Vladimir Kozhin filed the lawsuit. Attorney Nancy Ashenoff said it follows the lines of other lawsuits filed by her firm for Ecuador, Venezuela and Brazilian states.

With the petroleum business slowly returning to normal in Europe, retailers in the United States expressed concern that aggressive consumer behavior demonstrated overseas could be an ominous sign of things to come this winter if fuel prices keep rising.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in New York focused only on fountain-dispensed drinks handled by large foodservice distributors who control deliveries to chains of restaurants and theaters.

The National Association of Conven- ience Stores (NACS), Alexandria, Va., appointed Kathy Shanahan to the newly created position of vice president of customer relations. Dan Mulvaney was named director of political affairs. He will be responsible for the association's NACSPAC program, as well as all aspects of NACS' political affairs efforts. Kelly Schimmel was promoted to marketing research coordinator. Michael Mason was appointed to manager of news and media relations. Amy Ashley Burke was named meetings and registration manager.