TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Governor Jeb Bush today signed into law a series of seven bills to provide state funding for hurricane preparedness, response and recovery in Florida. These measures will significantly enhance the state's ability to prepare for hurricanes, respond quickly in the aftermath of a storm, recover from the damage and impacts to the economy, and mitigate future threats to public safety and infrastructure, Bush said.
Among other requirements, one of the bills, House Bill 7121: Relating to Evacuation & Sheltering, creates a voluntary [image-nocss] network to encourage gas stations to support emergency responders in relief efforts and requires owners of 10 or more stations to have access to a portable generator. The bill also requires all new and remodeled stations to be generator ready.
The frenetic search for fuel after a hurricane has become a staple of Floridian life in the past two years. But industry lobbyists said HB 7121 is unlikely to make the search any easier, reported The Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Some said the changes will do little to alter gasoline shortages after a hurricane since fuel arriving into the state from ports will be inaccessible for days before and after a big storm.
David Mica, executive director of the Florida Petroleum Council, said more generators may only mean that stations use up their available gasoline a little more quickly. "It in no way will mean that we'll have uninterrupted supplies of gasoline. It may mean that we drain our gasoline a little faster," he told the paper. "We do have some surplus" gasoline during a hurricane, he said, "but it's used up and then it's shut down for several days."
Jim Smith, president of the Florida Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Association, agreed; he told the newspaper that the bill will probably do "nothing" to ensure gasoline for regular citizens following a storm.
But Bush said if consumers feel confident stations can distribute fuel even if the power is out, there may be less consumption as drivers refrain from repeatedly topping off their tanks both before and after hurricanes. "People were lining up for gas because there were very few stations open. Their behavior was less rational because there was scarcity," Bush said. "If there's more gas stations open, I think you won't see the spike in demand."
Smith said many stations are adding generators anyway to remain competitive. He said the only solution to avoiding fuel shortages is for consumers to avoid hoarding and driving unnecessarily before and after storms. "The public believes that things are going to be normal right away, and nothing could be further from the truth," said Smith, noting he saw no signs of conservation among Floridians during last year's hurricanes. "Too many people are out on the road too fast after a storm. What that does is just eliminate the inventory to those emergency first-responders and those other personnel.... I think everyone's just hopping through life fat, dumb and stupid.
One thing Smith and other industry lobbyists support in the new law is a ban on counties and local governments enacting their own requirements for generators at stations, the report said. Smith said a push from Miami-Dade County to require each station to have a generator was "onerous" since it makes more sense for gas station owners to have portable generators that can be moved to where the needs are in the state.
Robert Hebert, Charlotte County's recovery manager, applauded the law. Long, snaking lines were a common sight at Charlotte pumps after Hurricane Charley, and power outages only added to the frustration. Hebert said generators are a good solution as long as taxpayers do not carry the cost. "One of the problems when the hurricane came through was they had gas in the ground but they couldn't get it to them because there was no power," he told the paper. Yet Hebert said he fears that forcing companies to buy generators could result in a spike in fuel costs. "If we have an emergency they'll probably start to triple the price," he said.
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