NEWS RELEASES
Propane Shortage Sparks Emergency In Midwest
Editor's Note: This news item was retrieved and first published through Inside Indiana Business's website.
Inside Indiana Business reports that Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb issued an executive order that suspends hours of service regulations for truck drivers hauling propane in the state through Dec. 2. Winter weather, poor road conditions and high demand have caused propane shortages in the region with truckers reporting long waits at propane terminals and some terminals running out of propane altogether. The executive order states, “The current demand for propane exceeds the locally available supply of propane.” The governor’s office found some drivers are depleting their available hours while traveling long distances or waiting at terminals, “…making it difficult to deliver propane to residential customers within the statutorily prescribed time limitations,". States throughout the Midwest are experiencing shortages and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) on Nov. 1 issued an emergency declaration for Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin suspending Parts 390 through 399 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. Indiana’s emergency declaration applies only to Part 395, which limits the number of hours that drivers can spend behind the wheel.
Gov. Holcomb’s complete emergency declaration can be read here.