ND1116115

Title: Connecticut Legislature Considers Requiring Gas Station to Have Generators

Description: Lawmakers are especially concerned by long lines at the pump due to power outages after a storm.

Page Content:

HARTFORD, Conn. ? After an October snowstorm knocked out power for days across the state, Connecticut lawmakers are looking into a requirement that gasoline stations have generators, the Hartford Courant reports.

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The legislature might hold a special session before Christmas after various reports related to the electrical outages are completed. ?Something needs to be done. Something will be done,? said Douglas Whiting, spokesman for House Speaker Christopher Donovan. ?At this point, it's just a question of timing.?

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One proposal would make gasoline stations, as well as elderly housing complexes, install generators. ?While my constituents and too many Connecticut residents waited for CL & P to show up, they needed gas for their vehicles and portable generators - and they found that too many gas stations were closed because they had no power,? said Rep. Zeke Zalaski, who co-chairs the committee on labor.

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?In Southington, for example, many gas stations were closed as hundreds of customers were in need of gasoline, and could not get it while causing traffic jams and creating problems for local police. Generators would have enabled the gas stations to remain open and serve the public. This is a serious public safety issue in all our communities,? he said.

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Many lawmakers want to decide on this and other issues relating to the storm outages before the end of the year. ?If it's not ready until early or mid-January, then we'll wait until the regular session? starts in February, said Whiting.

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Content Subject: Petroleum Retailing

Formatted Article Date: November 16, 2011

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