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Officials: Refineries shutdown strains fuel supply

Posted at 9:24 PM, Aug 28, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-28 22:41:23-04

A portion of the nation's largest refineries has had to shut down due to Hurricane Harvey rainfall. 

The Texas Food & Fuel Association said in a press release Monday that due to the shutdown, gas stations are feeling a strain on fuel supply. 

“In some areas, we are seeing fuel outages, or stores closed due to non-fuel related issues, including infrastructure damage, flooding, and lack of electricity. With a number of refineries shut down, the supply of fuel could be an issue for a week or so, depending on how long the rain continues in the affected areas” said Paul Hardin, president of the Texas Food & Fuel Association. 

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are working with the fuel industry to keep up with the demand. 

"...You may see some retail sites with limited dispensers in operation; however, those cases should not be seen as there being a fuel shortage issue, rather, they are strains that reflect the emergency operation needs in the Southeastern region of the state” says Hardin.

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