Governor Kristi Noem declared a 30-day state of emergency yesterday allowing truckers carrying gasoline, jet fuel, propane, ethyl alcohol, and natural gasoline to drive longer than federal law normally allows and ignore other federal motor carrier safety regulations. Governor Noem claims this suspension of safety and labor protections is necessary because South Dakota faces “extremely low inventories” of those fuels.
Supply and demand must have inverted their relationship, as SDPB reports South Dakota gasoline prices are down this week:
The average price in South Dakota fell 1.7 cents last week to an average of $3.39 per gallon, according to the latest GasBuddy survey of over 600 stations in South Dakota.
Prices are up 1.3 cents from last month and down $1.30 from this time last year [Madeline Grabow, “South Dakota Gas Prices Down Despite Rise in National Average,” SDPB Radio, 2023.06.12].
The most recent Energy Information Administration data show gasoline and fuel ethanol stocks ticking upward in the Midwest and nationwide after a predictable low over the big Memorial Day travel weekend. Domestic gasoline production has risen steadily since January. Propane/propylene stocks have swelled significantly since April and stand 44% above their level a year ago nationally and 35% above one year ago in the Midwest, thanks in part to steady production since January and our coming off the lowest winter propane consumption levels since 2010.
I welcome readers to supply data that might explain where the Governor is finding evidence that we are so short of fuel that we have to suspend truck safety laws.
Follow the money. Begin with the lists of campaign donors.
Nebraska did the same thing. Apparently there is a regional shortage.
https://www.ttnews.com/articles/south-dakota-nebraska-hos
Nebraksa’s pause is a different with the fatigue rules though.
What John said. Anyone else curious from which oligarch she receives her marching orders?
Is this the funnel?
https://dakotafreepress.com/2022/02/04/spokesman-for-anti-ravnsborg-telemarketer-has-notable-connections-to-koch-brothers-dark-money-and-national-republicans/
It’s been a week since the last Kristi Krisis – I suppose we’re in for the “emergency of the week” until her corporate masters tell her otherwise.
I used to think she needed to cut back on her twelve xanax a day, but I’m changing my mind.
Looks like her umpteenth chief of staff is going away.
The Governor seems to have some extreme anxiety prompting her to declare an “Emergency” every week or so. Suspending the trucker’s “fatigue rules” seems to me to be extreme and dangerous. Her anxiety may qualify her for Medical Marijuana. She would have to change her mix from Taylor Swift and George Strait to Yes and Pink Floyd.
Less than 48 hours after Governor Noem signed this executive order waiving federal trucking regulations, due to a (?)fuel shortage(?):
Early Sunday morning, a WaWa fuel tanker crashed in Philadelphia, disrupting a vital national transportation artery for months.
Why waive 49 CFR parts 390 thru 399 for fuel haulers?
These waived regulations include much more that driver hours (part 395).
Federal rules for Inspections, maintenance are waived?
Federal Rules addressing the transportation of migrant workers are waived?
Federal rules for Driver qualifications and training are waived?
Federal rules for parts and accessories needed for safe operation, such as brakes are waived?
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-III/subchapter-B
https://governor.sd.gov/doc/EO_2023-09.pdf
That’s great, rolling bombs all over the state being driven by exhausted drivers, what could possibly go wrong?