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Published Thursday, September 25, 2008 in Local

Photo by Sarah Fay Campbell

The unleaded pumps were empty at Hemrick’s Super Thrift and at many other stations on Thursday. But Leroy Geter had something to smile about as he put fuel in a Newnan Public Works Truck. It runs on diesel fuel.

No relief yet on gas shortages

By Sarah Fay Campbell

The Times-Herald

The Wednesday evening announcement that the Environmental Protection Agency was waiving fuel blend rules for metro-Atlanta didn't have any immediate effect on the gas shortages in Coweta.

In fact, Thursday was the worst day so far for drivers seeking to fill their tanks.

At 3 p.m. Thursday, not a drop of regular unleaded was available on Bullsboro Drive, from Race Trac to Quik Trip. No gas was available on Lower Fayetteville Road either.

Five Points Grocery did have regular unleaded for a mere $3.99 Thursday afternoon -- and a line of motorists waiting to fuel up.

On Greenville Street, Metro Petro and Stephens Texaco both had regular -- for $4.29 a gallon. At Stephens, the limit was $10. There were no lines.

Along Temple Avenue, Hemrick's was out, but the Exxon still had a few pumps running.

"I think today and yesterday have been the two worst days. We can't get any gasoline," said Joe Crain of Crain Oil Company in Newnan.

Crain said he sent his three 9,000-gallon tankers to the Doraville terminal late Wednesday night. "They came back empty," Crain said.

When the fuel shortage first hit, predictions were that it would be over by now.

"We've heard from a good many sources that, now, it may be Thursday or Friday of next week" before things even begin approaching normal, Crain said.

"That was a pretty reliable source," he said.

But so was the source that said things should be back to normal by now.

Crain said the EPA announcement hasn't yet helped at all. The vapor pressure requirements had already been relaxed, allowing fuel from terminals in Columbus and Macon to be sold in Coweta.

But "they haven't got any" either, Crain said.

Though there is definitely a shortage, panic buying by customers is making things even worse.

But then again, it's hard not to panic.

"There are so few that have got it, that they sell out in a hurry, and then they are out," Crain said.

He fears the situation might be even worse this weekend.

Colon Hemrick of Hemrick's Super Thrift got his tanks filled with 8,500 gallons of regular on Tuesday. It's the first time his supplier has given him a full load since Hurricane Ike struck.

But it didn't last long.

The load was delivered around 7:30 Tuesday night. The pumps ran dry around 9 p.m. on Wednesday.

The store always sells a lot of gas, but not that much. Hemrick estimated that customers bought about 3,000 more gallons than they normally would in that time period.

"So many people are out already. When somebody gets it, they pump you right back out," Hemrick said. "It was like a zoo yesterday."

Hemrick hopes he will get some fuel today.

He said his supplier is pretty discouraged right now. Other gas station owners are calling the supplier and cussing him out, Hemrick said. Others start calling at 4:30 a.m. wanting to know why they aren't getting gas.

"He's doing the best he can. It's all he can do," Hemrick said.

One thing Hemrick's had plenty of Thursday was diesel fuel. Hemrick said he told his supplier he needed diesel because many of the ambulances and other emergency vehicles in Coweta run on it.

The 6,000-gallon diesel delivery came last week, and there are about 2,500 gallons left, Hemrick said.

As Newnan Public Works employee Leroy Geter put diesel in a city truck Thursday, a motorist pulled in, thinking that, since someone was pumping, there must be gas. The man left disappointed.

While the gasoline shortage is pinching everyone, it is particularly hard on the gas station operators themselves.

Profit margins on fuel are slim.

"A lot of their sales in the stores is where they make their money," Crain said. "A lot of that is generated by people stopping to buy gas, and going in and buying cigarettes and crackers. If they aren't stopping to buy gas, I would think in-store sales are pretty slow, and that hurts them bad."

Crain said that the situation is still not as bad as it was during the energy crisis of the late 1970s. But "it's getting close to that now."

Hurricane Ike caused oil refineries in Texas to be evacuated and shut down. Some still don't have electricity, but there was very little actual damage.

"This makes you think," said Crain, "how bad things can get with just a small disruption."

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