BlogWood: MT Archives

Tribune catches up, reports looming gas shortages

TBO.com (The Tampa Tribune online wing) confirms a USA Today report (posted on BlogWood yesterday)

Snarled barge traffic on the Mississippi River is delaying some shipments of gasoline to the Port of Tampa and causing speculation that the price of gas locally could reach an all-time high.

With less fuel moving through the port, some companies are drawing on reserves and having gas trucked in from other Florida cities, including Jacksonville and Miami.

Several of Sunoco Corp.'s stations, fewer than 10 of its 70 in the area, had run out of gas by Thursday.

``That should start to improve by'' today, said company spokesman Gerald Davis, in Philadelphia.

Consumers probably won't encounter any widespread gas shortages, although some stations may continue to run out until the shipping lanes are cleared.

Thank Gearge and Dick and their shortsighted energy policy. Here’s more, from an email from MoveOn.org: (Senate contact info is good for all of Florida)

Dear MoveOn member,

The Bush-Cheney energy bill is back, and it could come up for a vote at any moment. Republicans have signaled that they'll give as little as 24 hours' notice. We've got to get out ahead of it.

Please call your Senator(s) now, at:

Senator Bob Graham
Washington, DC: 202-224-3041

Senator Bill Nelson
Washington, DC: 202-224-5274

Make sure they know you're a constituent, then urge them to:

"Please FILIBUSTER to stop the energy bill."*

Give some reasons why you're concerned -- some good ones are listed below.

The energy bill is still terrible. Here's what it does:

1. Delays clean-up in smoggy cities, which would increase asthma
attacks and other health problems, especially among children and elderly people.

2. Pollutes rivers and coastal waters by exempting oil and gas drilling
from clean-up safeguards

3. Allows energy companies to rip off consumers by repealing the
Public Utility Holding Company Act.

4. Includes billions in subsidies for big oil, nuclear, timber, and
coal companies.

5. Increases air pollution and global warming with new incentives to
burn coal for electricity without adequate pollution controls.

6. Threatens drinking water by allowing the underground injection of
diesel fuel and other chemicals during oil and gas development.

7. Weakens environmental safeguards to pave the way for more oil and
gas drilling on sensitive public lands in the Rocky Mountain West.
At least sixteen national hunting and fishing organizations oppose
these provisions.

8. Locks in American dependence on foreign oil by adding new
roadblocks to better fuel economy.

9. Tramples on states' abilities to protect their coasts from harmful
oil and gas exploration by weakening their input on federal
coastal projects.

10. Promotes nuclear proliferation by reversing long-standing U.S.
policy against reprocessing waste from commercial nuclear
reactors, and using plutonium to generate commercial energy.

Please call your Senator(s) now, at:

Senator Bob Graham
Washington, DC: 202-224-3041

Senator Bill Nelson
Washington, DC: 202-224-5274

Urge them to filibuster the energy bill.