Gas shortage leading to fights

UNDATED - More than a week after Hurricane Ike's strike, drivers across the Southeast are still bouncing between dry pumps and shuttered stations in a frustrating hunt for a fill-up and they're starting to get angry.

There are stations shut down in Nashville, long lines in Atlanta and even fights breaking out in bucolic Blue Ridge mountain towns.

The line was about 40 cars deep Tuesday afternoon at a 20-pump Quik Trip station just north of Atlanta. It was the only spot in the area with gas to sell, and police said they been called in often to referee spats over cutting in line. The station only had regular for $3.98 a gallon, a few cents under the city average of $4.02.

Early Wednesday morning, many stations in North Georgia were still completely out of gasoline or had a limited supply and many were limiting the amount that could be bought by each motorist.

Later in the day, the federal government waived the low-sulfur requirement for metro Atlanta gasoline.

Gov. Sonny Perdue requested the waiver from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help suppliers overcome a severe shortage of the cleaner-burning variety. The waiver is valid through Oct. 12. (See separate story.)

http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/9/213585