DOT Guidance Lets States Use Federal Emergency Relief Funds to Offset Fuel Hauling Costs: 12 States Petitioned
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) issued guidance on October 22 clarifying that states may use federal Emergency Relief funds to offset fuel cost increases borne by fuel hauling fleets.
According to DOT, more than $400 million is available under the Emergency Relief program authorized by 23 U.S.C. 125. The department estimated that using the funds could save an average of about $2,600 per tanker load. Before the guidance was issued, 12 states had jointly petitioned DOT for federal action: Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Chelsea Partington, Associate Administrator for Policy at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), said the guidance gives states and carriers a clear basis to lawfully apply Emergency Relief funds to ease cost pressure in fuel transportation and keep the fuel supply chain stable.
Industry groups welcomed the move. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and the National Tank Truck Carriers (NTTC) all voiced support, saying the arrangement would help stabilize fuel delivery and carriers' operating costs while fuel prices remain high.
DOT said state transportation departments may apply for and use the funds through the Emergency Relief program's existing procedures, with amounts and uses subject to federal requirements.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于华盛顿的美国交通部总部大楼（Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 3.0）
