Anyone with a car who lived in areas impacted by super storm Sandy in 2012 will surely remember the freakishly long lines for gas at stations all over the Northeast. To keep those shortages from happening again should the region be hit with another severe storm or hurricane, the federal government is creating a stockpile of gasoline, to the tune of one million barrels (said in Dr. Evil voice because that joke still exists, inexplicably).
The government is dividing up the reserve between two different spots, one close to the New York Harbor and another in New England, reports the Los Angeles Times. Each place will take half the barrels, which will work to provide temporary relief in case of “significant disruptions,” the Energy Department said.
Sen. Charles “Everyone Calls Me Chuck” Schumer says the region has wised up after Sandy unleashed her fury on the Northeast.
“The sudden, massive gas supply shortage after Superstorm Sandy resulted in interminable lines, panic, and delivered a gut shot to the region’s economy,” Schumer said in a Friday statement. “That’s why we called for regionally placed reserves.”
It’s not just that everyone decides to fill up on gas all at the same time — two oil refineries and more than 40 terminals had to close because of damage done by Sandy in the New York area. The days and weeks afterward weren’t much better, with many gas stations closed for up to a month.
U.S. to create gasoline stockpile in Northeast in case of storms [L.A. Times]
by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist
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