DHS Ready To Review Waiver Requests To Meet Fuel Demand After Pipeline Hack - White House

DHS Ready to Review Waiver Requests to Meet Fuel Demand After Pipeline Hack - White House

The Department of Homeland Security is ready to assess any waiver requests from gasoline companies to meet fuel demand following the shutdown of a major pipeline in a cyberattack last week, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said in a statement on Wednesday

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th May, 2021) The Department of Homeland Security is ready to assess any waiver requests from gasoline companies to meet fuel demand following the shutdown of a major pipeline in a cyberattack last week, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said in a statement on Wednesday.

Psaki's statement came as hundreds of gas stations across the country ran out of fuel amid panic buying among drivers following a shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline by hackers.

"The Department of Homeland Security stands ready to review any temporary Jones Act waiver requests from companies that demonstrate there is not sufficient capacity on Jones Act-qualified vessels to carry fuel to the affected region.

The Jones Act requires that goods shipped to US ports be transported on vessels that are built, owned, and operated by American citizens or permanent residents.

Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall and National Economic Council Director Brian Deese convened a meeting of senior officials on Tuesday night to discuss the latest updates on fuel supply in the impacted region as well as further steps to mitigate the supply shortages, Psaki said.

The Transportation Department has "concluded their assessment of what assets are available in the Jones Act fleet to carry petroleum products within the Gulf, and from the Gulf up the Eastern Seaboard," Psaki said.

The Colonial Pipeline, which delivers about 45 percent of the fuel consumed on the US East Coast, was hit by a cyberattack on Friday. As the shutdown entered its sixth day, US media reported that fuel pumps in the East Coast were running out of fuel and there were long lines of cars waiting to fill up. The average price of gasoline has also soared on the disruption to a seven-year high that was just short of $3 per gallon.