Dry pumps as shutdown bites
More than 1000 petrol stations in the US Southeast reported running out of fuel, mainly because of what analysts say is unwarranted panic buying by drivers, as the shutdown of a major pipeline by a gang of hackers entered its fifth day.
Government officials acted swiftly to waive safety and environmental rules to speed the delivery of fuel by truck, ship or rail to motorists and airports yesterday, even as they sought to assure the public that there was no cause for alarm.
The Colonial Pipeline, the biggest fuel pipeline in the US, delivering about 45 per cent of the fuel consumed on the east coast, was hit last Saturday with a cyberattack by hackers who lock up computer systems and demand a ransom to release them. The attack has once again raised concerns about the vulnerability of the nation’s critical infrastructure.
A large part of the pipeline resumed operations manually on Tuesday, and Colonial expects to restart most operations by the end of the week. US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said it would take a few days to ramp up operations, but there was no reason to hoard fuel.
The pipeline runs from the Texas Gulf Coast to the New York metropolitan area. The states most dependent on the pipeline include Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas.
There were scattered reports of higher pump prices, but prices were rising even before the pipeline incident, heading into the busy summer driving season. Nevertheless, Granholm warned station owners: ‘‘We will have no tolerance for price gouging.’’
To ease the shortages, the White House is considering temporarily waiving a law that says ships delivering products between US ports must be built and manned by Americans. The Transportation Department is also relaxing some workforce requirements, and enlisting railway companies to deliver fuel inland. The Environmental Protection Agency has lifted some fuel quality requirements.
Dave Gussak drove from one station to the next in Tallahassee, Florida, in search of petrol, seeing a line over 1500 metres long at the pumps outside a Costco. ‘‘This is insane,’’ he said.
The Colonial Pipeline carries jet fuel as well. American Airlines has rerouted long-haul flights from Charlotte, North Carolina, because of possible shortages.