EPA, Defense act on post-Sandy gas woes

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- Washington said it took additional steps to help U.S. East Coast residents deal with a shortage of diesel fuel in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it was waiving federal clean diesel fuel requirements in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York City so highway vehicles and off-road vehicles could use home heating oil for emergency response purposes.

Regional gasoline shortages were "getting better," though New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said last weekend that it might be a "couple of days" before the shortage was resolved. The EPA last week waived some gasoline mandates to help cope with the shortage.

Power outages and distribution issues after Hurricane Sandy have created long lines of customers at gasoline stations.

The U.S. Energy Department said it was working with the Defense Department and National Guard to get emergency generators to gas stations that lost power in the storm.

Sandy, a Category 1 hurricane, battered the East Coast last week, causing at least 110 deaths. More than 182,000 residents of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have applied for federal disaster assistance.