WASHINGTON - In response to Hurricane Harvey’s massive destruction of infrastructure and disruption of much needed off-shore gas and petroleum production and distribution, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao has issued a Regional Declaration of Emergency under 49 CFRF § 390.23.

The declaration will help alleviate a potential shortage of available drivers who are critical to delivering necessary supplies to the impacted communities in Texas, Louisiana and other states.

“It is critically important to Texas and to the nation that restrictions are waived for fuel trucks and the delivery of fuel from twenty-five states across the nation to ensure that much needed energy reaches Texas as quickly as possible.” said Secretary Chao, who signed the waiver in response to a request from Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

The regional declaration for fuel haulers covers 26 states and the District of Columbia – Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. This declaration will also allow these twenty-five states to receive oil and fuel deliveries.