Oregon’s governor declared a state of emergency Monday to ensure enough fuel reaches the state while the Olympic Pipeline, which supplies more than 90% of the state’s fuel, remains shut down. due to leakage before Thanksgiving travel.
Gov. Tina Kotick’s announcement aims to preserve enough fuel arriving in the state by ship and truck in part by waiving some regulations on how long commercial drivers transporting fuel can work, according to the governor’s order.
BP’s petrochemical pipeline, which runs from Washington to Oregon, was shut down for a week after the first report of a leak and intermittent shutdown earlier this month.
The company said in a statement that its crews have excavated 200 feet (60 meters) of the 400-mile (644-kilometer) pipeline, and are working around the clock to discover the source of the leak that was reported outside the city of Everett, Washington.
Oregon officials said they did not expect fuel shortages in the state or at Portland International Airport with emergency measures in place, but they warned that drivers could see prices rise due to more expensive delivery methods.
In Washington, where state Governor Bob Ferguson announced… Similar emergency Last week, the shutdown began slowing some flights in Seattle ahead of Thanksgiving.
The largest airlines at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines, on Monday acknowledged some delays caused by fuel shortages. Meanwhile, fuel is brought in by tanker trucks, and airlines direct flights to arrive with extra fuel or stop afterwards to fill up.