Gov. Holcomb signs executive order to minimize fuel supply disruption following Whiting refinery fire
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Governor Eric Holcomb on Monday signed an executive order relaxing certain regulations to minimize disruption to the state’s fuel supply following Wednesday’s electrical fire at the BP Whiting refinery.
The fire forced BP to shut down the Lake County facility, which is about 15 miles southeast of Chicago along Lake Michigan’s shoreline.
Holcomb’s office says the executive order “temporarily waives regulations regarding vapor pressure requirements on fuel standards and lifts restrictions on hours of service relating to motor carriers and drivers transporting fuels” with the goal of speeding up the “refining and transporting” of fuel through Indiana.
In other words, the governor temporarily dropped rules requiring gas stations to use ‘summer blend‘ gasoline while allowing truck drivers hauling gas, diesel, jet fuel, or other fuels to stay on the road longer.
Over the weekend, the Environmental Protection Agency temporarily waived a federal rule requiring the use of summer blend gasoline in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
BP said Monday it expects to resume operations in the next few days and that it has “deployed all available resources” to bring things back to normal “as soon as safely possible.”
When operational, the refinery provides up to 25% of the gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel fuel used in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
Industry experts say the brief shutdown is “unlikely” to have a major impact on Indiana gas prices.