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Plains states waive trucking rules
By Jill
Dunn
Minnesota and South Dakota have waived hours-of-service restrictions for fuel haulers, while Kansas has waived restrictions because of flooding.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota signed an emergency executive order June 29 to ease distribution of gasoline and diesel. Minnesota’s waiver is good until July 19.
Pawlenty said many motor fuel terminals outside cities were experiencing difficulties in obtaining their full supply of gasoline.
South Dakota imposed a similar waiver through July 19, said a state trucking association representative.
North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven imposed a similar waiver June 29 that ended July 7. Hoeven said a slowdown at a Minnesota refinery and increased fuel demand for the July 4 holiday had hurt the fuel supply.
On June 30, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius declared a state of emergency for Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Butler, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Coffey, Cowley, Elk, Franklin, Linn, Miami, Montgomery, Neosho, Osage, Wilson and Woodson counties because of severe and constant weather, including flooding.
Sebelius also imposed a 30-day waiver of hours-of-service restrictions for truckers delivering emergency supplies. For the same period, she also suspended overweight and oversize fees and the requirements of registration, fuel permits, licensing and operating authority.
Among the facilities flooded in Kansas was a refinery in Coffeyville, further hurting the region’s fuel supplies.
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