‘Sounds simple, but ...’ | Feds warn against using plastic bags for fuel storage

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Administration is warning consumers not to use plastic bags to collect gasoline as fuel shortages persist throughout the Southeast.

The warning came after several social media posts showed people dispensing gasoline into plastic bags, including one of a woman apparently doing just that at a Houston, Texas, Kroger.

The video was recorded by another customer.

“We know this sounds simple, but when people get desperate they stop thinking clearly,” the agency said. “They take risks that can have deadly consequences. If you know someone who is thinking about bringing a container not meant for fuel to get gas, please let them know it’s dangerous.”

Similar images were popping up Tuesday and Wednesday.

Colonial Pipeline, which delivers about 45% of the fuel consumed on the East Coast, halted operations last week after revealing a ransomware attack that it said had affected some of its systems.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation said it was evaluating a temporary waiver of the Jones Act to ensure sufficient gasoline supply to some U.S. states. The Jones Act requires goods moved between U.S. ports to be carried by ships built domestically and staffed by U.S. crews.

Colonial is in the process of restarting portions of its network. It said Monday that it was evaluating the product inventory in storage tanks at its facilities.

Administration officials stressed that Colonial proactively took some of its systems offline to prevent the ransomware from migrating from business computer systems to those that control and operate the pipeline.

Cities that are most impacted by gas shortages, according to CNN, are Pensacola, Florida (73%); Raleigh, North Carolina (72%); metro Charlotte, North Carolina (71%); and Atlanta (nearly 60%).