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The national average price of diesel pushed past a record level for the third time in four weeks, rising 3.4 cents a gallon to $3.444, the Department of Energy reported.

Independent logging truckers from Maine may drive their rigs to Washington to protest high diesel fuel prices, the Bangor (Maine) Daily News reported Thursday.

The average price of retail diesel fell 1.5 cents last week to $3.41 a gallon, ending a string of five straight increases that had pushed the fuel to record levels, the Department of Energy reported.

U.S. diesel fuel prices rose another 12.2 cents last week to $3.425 a gallon, the second consecutive record high and the eighth increase in the past nine weeks, the Department of Energy said.

The Environmental Protection Agency issued a warning to biodiesel producers they could face fines of up to $32,500 a day if their product does not meet quality standards.

The average price of a gallon of diesel in the United States jumped 14.6 cents last week, setting a new record high of $3.303 a gallon, the Energy Department reported. Last week’s diesel price, $3.157 a gallon, matched the old record, set Oct. 24, 2005.