Reuters: Regulatory News: UPDATE 1-US eases clean gasoline rules in East after Sandy

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UPDATE 1-US eases clean gasoline rules in East after Sandy Oct 31st 2012, 22:04 Wed Oct 31, 2012 6:04pm EDT * EPA waives clean gasoline rules for 16 states * Waivers last through Nov 20 By Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - The U.S. environmental regulator temporarily waived clean gasoline requirements through Nov. 20 across the eastern seaboard to ease a supply crunch after Hurricane Sandy. "I have determined that an 'extreme and unusual fuel supply circumstance' exists that will prevent the distribution of an adequate supply of gasoline to consumers," Lisa Jackson, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, said in a letter on Wednesday to governors of the states. The governors of 16 states, including New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, had requested a waiver in requirements to sell reformulated gasoline, or RFG, in smog-plagued regions of the country. The waiver also applies to states in the mid-Atlantic including Maryland and states in the South including Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina. Sandy damaged petroleum storage facilities and caused pipeline delays that are projected to prevent the distribution of RFG in areas hit by the storm, Jackson said in the letter. On Wednesday some drivers in New Jersey were forming long lines to buy gasoline and causing traffic delays on at least one highway. On Route 17 in the north of the state lines to buy gasoline were backing up onto the road. "Route 17 is like a parking lot with cars lined up in the slow lane on both sides," said Erin Gardner, a motorist coming home from work. "It's really bad out here." Under the waiver the EPA will allow fuel retailers to sell conventional gasoline in place of RFG effective immediately. A copy of the letter can be seen here: Earlier on Wednesday, the EPA granted a waiver for operators of generators and pumps to use heating oil in place of ultra low sulfur diesel to help ease a supply crunch of that fuel. An energy expert said fuel waivers were one of the things President Barack Obama can do to help people after the storm. "There's not much they can do about getting the power back on, but the government can at least lead on this so people know things are going to get better," said Lucian Pugliaresi, President of the Energy Policy Research Foundation, Inc. Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints

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