CT: limits on sulfur in heating oil relaxed to ease NE fuel crisis

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The end of this story says it all:

''There is not a drop of oil,'' said Sharon Lewis, of A Smart Buy Inc. in North Branford, who estimated she missed 50 deliveries.

DEP temporarily relaxes limits on sulfur in heating oil

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) State environmental regulators are suspending some environmental regulations in response to the state's heating oil shortage.

The Independent Connecticut Petroleum Association asked for the waiver, saying the recent snowstorm and cold weather had interfered with oil deliveries. The association said it was able to get deliveries of some oil, but with sulfur content slightly higher than the limits set by the state Department of Environmental Protection.

The DEP granted a waiver late Tuesday, agreeing to allow the use of the noncompliant heating oil for 48 hours, until 5 p.m. Thursday.

Carmine DiBattista, chief of the DEP's air management bureau, said the DEP does not expect any adverse impact on the state's air quality by using the sulfur-rich heating oil.

''We don't think the environmental impacts are even going to be measurable,'' he said. ''This is a really short-term event weighed against a lot of people not having heat.''

Under current state regulations, number two heating oil must have a sulfur content of less than 0.3 percent by weight. The deliveries accepted by the petroleum association were between 0.31 percent and 0.38 percent, DiBattista said.

The petroleum association, which represents 350 dealers that supply 90 percent of the state's heating oil, is required to submit a report to DEP to further explain what led to the delivery shortage.

On Tuesday, the group told the DEP that they physically were unable to get enough oil delivered to terminals in Bridgeport and New Haven because of scheduling problems and the snowstorm earlier this week.

Some dealers were unable to get oil Tuesday, before the restrictions were relaxed.

''There is not a drop of oil,'' said Sharon Lewis, of A Smart Buy Inc. in North Branford, who estimated she missed 50 deliveries.

Link:

http://courant.ctnow.com/news/apwire/Feb3-APwire_51371.stm

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), February 03, 2000


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