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Pensacola Fuel Terminal Operating Again, Gas Supply Expected To Continue To Improve
May 12, 2021
Fuel trucks are once again rolling out of the TransMontaigne terminal in Pensacola to area gas stations.
The terminal receives fuel from barges that travel the Gulf of Mexico, and then the fuel is transferred to trucks for delivery across the area. Fuel for Escambia County is not transported by by the Colonial Pipeline that suffered a cyber attack.
It was temporarily closed because it did not have summer blend gasoline on hand by May 1 as required by federal regulations. Late Tuesday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a temporary waiver through June 1, allowing the winter blend fuel stockpile to be delivered.
“The EPA has not shut down TransMontaigne’s fuel operations in Pensacola. Except for retailers and wholesale purchaser-consumers, all parties in the gasoline distribution chain throughout the United States must meet low volatility standards on May 1. The federal low volatility standards have been in place for decades and begin on May 1 each year. The TransMontaigne terminal in Pensacola, Florida contacted EPA the evening of April 30 to inform EPA that they would be shutting down their operation at midnight since they did not have gasoline meeting the federal low volatility standard. The EPA understands that the terminal is still exploring options to sell compliant gasoline. Retailers and wholesale purchaser-consumers must meet the low volatility standards on June 1,” the EPA said in a statement to our news partners at NewsRadio 92.3/AM 1620.
The summer blend fuel requirements have been in effect since 1989.
Early Wednesday morning, interim Escambia County Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore said many stations in the area are quickly being resupplied with fuel.
Late Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard as needed due to fuel supply issues. The situation was worsened by panic buying.
Pictured: Drivers line up for gas Monday at the Speed Mart on Highway 29 at Tate School Road (above), the Circle K at Highway and East Kingsfield Road (below), and Murphy Oil at the Ensley Walmart (bottom). Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Comments
6 Responses to “Pensacola Fuel Terminal Operating Again, Gas Supply Expected To Continue To Improve”
Summer blend, winter blend, epa, federal government. That explains the fiasco
I feel that these gas prices for the last few decades are a form of polling. The oil changes artificially mark up the price then when people get mad they drop the price but it’s still nets towards more expensive. Thai crisis feels the same, make the populous desperate and angry then give in and give them what they want but the prices will stay high. It can’t be for another reason because for the last few decades in the US there have been protests against gas companies for not only their environment destroying practices but also their insane prices. It’s just a way to make people angry, therefore irrational, therefore make people spend more money.
Eople don’t understand how business operates, the excess of intr blend was not caused by the company but by the covic19 pandemic as the normal amount of gas used during the winter months was not sold due to low sales caused by people not traveling, the suppliers have an allotment they must buy from the producers or lose there ability to purchase the needed amount the next time. So don’t blame them but the green peace people that forced the draconian rules on us.
Based on the article and reading a bit between the lines, I wonder if this whole issue was about them having too much “winter mix” gasoline still sitting around and needed to get rid of it before they took delivery of the “summer mix”. The extension they received to get in compliance makes sense if you look at it that way.
Either way, I finally found some gas and tanked up this morning, but felt it in the wallet. Someone is making some big bucks off of this mini-crisis.
Something else to be concerned about…… If this can happen to a gas line it could happen to the electrical grid. Please Florida Light and Power be prepared.
I hardly ever comment on things, but the situation with the terminal at Pensacola shutting down because of failure to meet EPA guidelines is unexcusable. Who dropped the ball, here? If the terminal company was a utility, the government officials would have been quick to discipline and explain the situation to the EPA before the shutdown. I believe the Florida Department of Agriculture is the watchdog, here? If so, they bear a big part of the blame for letting the private company default, triggering the EPA order to shutdown. Maybe there is another culprit out there. There is a complete lack of transparency here that has affected the lives of the entire community. I recall what happened in Texas during the big freeze. Where are the watchdogs? Who is sleeping at the switch? Must get to the bottom of it. If it happens again, it will totally undermine the little remaining trust people have in the regulatory agencies. And chaos will reign. Like the hoarding the hoarding and panic that has already ensued.