In emergency, state could deliver gasoline by rail

TALLAHASSEE — The state would study rushing rail-tank cars into evacuation areas to avoid a repeat of the run on gasoline stations that occurred before Hurricane Irma made landfall last year, under a bill that moved forward this week in the House.

The House Appropriations Committee unanimously backed the bill (HB 7083), which features many the 78 recommendations that came out of a select committee on hurricanes in January. It includes a directive to the Department of Transportation to determine if the rail cars could work.

The study, which would require consultation with the rail and fuel industries, would have to be submitted by July 1.

The measure approved Thursday also includes requiring each county emergency management agency to set up their own fuel contingency plans and allowing money from the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund to be used for local projects that enhance emergency power generation. It would require the Division of Emergency Management to use certified sign-language interpreters during televised broadcasts as weather emergencies unfold.

The state strained to keep up with fuel demand in September as Irma raced through the Caribbean and 6.5 million Floridians were ordered to evacuate their homes, with others scrambling for lastminute storm supplies.

Motorists reported it took up to 12 hours to traverse routes typically covered in half that time. As ports closed, the Florida Highway Patrol escorted tanker trucks south on highways.

The Senate has started moving forward with a measure (SB 700) that would set up the Florida Strategic Fuel Reserve Task Force within the Division of Emergency Management. The task force would recommend a fuel plan intended to meet public and private needs during emergencies and disasters.

On Feb. 2, Scott directed the transportation department to expand “emergency shoulder use” along key interstates, a strategy employed in September as traffic backed up with motorists fleeing Irma north on Interstate 75.

Scott has also called for installing cameras and message signs along I-75 from Ocala north to the Georgia state line and increasing the capacity of the state’s Florida 511 system, which provides real-time traffic information about major roads.