(ANCHORAGE, Alaska) – The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) joins the National Conference on Weights and Measures to observe National Weights and Measures Week, March 1-7, 2015. Accurate and reliable weights and measures protect buyers and sellers in virtually all sales of goods in the United States, including Alaska.

ADOT&PF’s Division of Measurement Standards & Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (MS/CVE) is responsible for inspecting and testing all commercial weighing and measuring devices used in Alaska’s commerce in order to ensure that equity prevails in the marketplace.

“The Weights and Measures seal of approval gives businesses and consumers confidence that trade is being conducted with equity for both the buyer and the seller,” said MS/CVE director, Dan Smith.

The theme of National Weights and Measures Week 2015, “On the Path to Tomorrow,” recognizes that weights and measures inspectors must continually strive to keep pace with advancing technologies. A rapidly developing science for MS/CVE regulatory officials is the evaluation process of new measuring devices that supply alternate energy resources such as natural gas, hydrogen and electricity for rechargeable motor vehicles.

Today’s inspectors receive continuous training to insure that accuracy testing is performed to national standards, whether they are inspecting a 21st century scale used in the salmon industry, a high-tech fuel delivery meter on an oil delivery truck or the precision scales used to buy precious metals.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities oversees 237 airports, 9 ferries serving 35 communities along 3,500 marine miles, over 5,600 miles of highway and 839 public facilities throughout the state of Alaska. The mission of the department is to “Keep Alaska Moving through service and infrastructure.”

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