Cyber Attack Hampers Gas Delivery in Virginia
Virginia | May 12, 2021
A major pipeline used to deliver gasoline to the eastern U.S. has been shutdown by hackers, leading to higher gas prices and decreased availability in some areas of Virginia. The Colonial Pipeline was targeted by a ransomware cyber attack on Friday, and the company took some systems offline in response, leading to the pipeline shutdown.
AAA Mid-Atlantic Public Affairs Manager Martha Meade said, “Just how much or how long these effects will last depends on how long the pipeline remains down. A few days means minor impact, but down for a longer period means a much larger impact.”
Meade said gas prices went up three cents Monday night, and the increase is likely to continue.
“Virginia one of the states most likely to see limited fuel availability and higher gas prices with the pipeline shutdown that runs from Texas to New York and delivers 45 percent of all fuel to the east Coast,” Meade added.
She said that the U.S. has strong gasoline supplies, but the shutdown is impacting delivery to terminals and gas stations. In response to the shutdown, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan issued an emergency fuel waiver on Tuesday. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration also issued an emergency exemption to some transportation regulations…
(Excerpts from The Virginia Star)