Consumers urged to report problems

Gov. Sonny Perdue has extended the states price gouging statute to protect Georgia consumers from unlawful price increases in gas prices and other products. The temporary law will now expire at midnight Oct. 14.

1:30 p.m. - Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005

I sincerely hope that our State Attorney General is going to look into the extremely sharp price increases of fuel by local retailers. There is no way that the fuel in the tanks at local retail sites has increased by 80 cents in value in a matter of hours because of the hurricane.

The situation certainly has the feel of price gouging and is reminiscent of the extortion imposed from Florida lumber and hardware dealers during Hurricane Andrew.

2:00 p.m. - Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005

Gov. Perdue has indicated that the effect on Georgias gas supply should be short term. However, we are researching state education law and policy to see what relief can be provided to local systems should this problem go longer than expected.

1:30 p.m. - Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005

ATLANTA - Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin said Aug. 31 that he would start the paperwork to allow Georgia to switch to higher vapor pressure gasoline 15 days early so the way will be cleared for any action needed by other state and federal agencies to prevent disruption of supplies caused from Hurricane Katrina.

Commissioner Irvin, as the states chief fuel inspector, issued an emergency rule change permitting the higher vapor pressure gasoline to be sold starting Thursday, Sept. 1 instead of Sept. 16.

5:30 p.m. - Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2005

A number of gas stations in Peachtree City had already run out of gas by early Wednesday afternoon as long lines at the pumps caused some motorists to have short fuses.

The Flash Foods at the intersection of Crosstown Road and Ga. Highway 74 had traffic backed up all the way to the Wendys restaurant next door as many vehicles waited for access to one of the stations six pumps. Tempers flared at one point, with some motorists shouting at each other.

10:46 a.m. - Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005

Georgias two gas pipelines are running at 25 percent capacity as of 10:30 a.m. Thursday morning, according to state officials.

Also, Georgia is getting more gas shipments via tanker truck than before Hurricane Katrina wrought its devastation on oil refineries in Louisiana. Gov. Sonny Perdue convinced the federal Environmental Protection Agency to allow gas trucks to travel in Georgia 24 hours a day, according to a spokesperson.

By CAL BEVERLY
[email protected]

Hundreds and perhaps thousands of nervous drivers formed lines at dozens of gas pumps in Fayetteville and other stations in Fayette County Wednesday afternoon in the bright sunshine as jitters about gas availability began to spread through the entire metro area.

With major gasoline pipe lines running dry in the wake of Hurricane Katrinas destruction along the Gulf Coast, some gas stations began to ration their sales to keep from running out.

State officials are anticipating difficulty receiving gasoline deliveries statewide due to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division is waiving state requirements for cleaner-burning gasoline to be sold over the summer months. The waiver will last until Thursday, Sept. 15.

Officials said the waiver will allow gas suppliers to bring available gas into the state to help alleviate shortages and keep prices to a minimum.

Peachtree City employees are curbing their vehicle use in light of an impending gas delivery problem throughout the state.

Meanwhile, Mayor Steve Brown is encouraging citizens to use their electric-powered golf carts to go anywhere necessary. He used his golf cart to pick up his kids from school and do grocery shopping Wednesday afternoon.

The citys gas tanks can only hold a two-week supply, and the citys gas supplier has already informed officials that the next delivery will be short of the citys usual delivery, Brown said.

5:30 p.m. - Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005

Governor Perdue announced Sept. 1 that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved Georgias waiver request to allow the use of high sulfur diesel fuel (off-road diesel) for on-road purposes through Sept. 15, 2005. This has been done to increase the supply of diesel fuel and to minimize supply disruptions caused by Hurricane Katrina.

Under normal conditions, federal law requires motor vehicles to use low sulfur diesel fuel because it is less polluting, while the high sulfur fuel can be used only for off-road purposes.

1:30 p.m. - Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005

ATLANTA - Governor Sonny Perdue signed an Executive Order Aug. 31 enacting Georgias price gouging statute to protect Georgia consumers from unlawful increases in gas prices and other products. The Governors Office has received Wednesday credible evidence that price gouging has occurred in parts of the state.

We will not tolerate the exploitation of Georgia consumers as we recover from the effects of Hurricane Katrina, said Governor Sonny Perdue. Violators of this price gouging statute will be punished to the fullest extent possible.

1:30 p.m. - Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005

Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin reminded gas station owners and managers and other outlets that sell gasoline to the public that it is illegal to post one price on the street or on a billboard and charge another at the pump.

This bait-and-switch is a violation of state law and will not be tolerated, said Commissioner Irvin. We have had reports about stations or convenience stores saying they did not have time or enough employees to change the price on the sign. That is not an excuse. If you have enough employees to change the price, you have enough employees to change the sign that advertises your price or to take the sign down.