September 12, 2008

Governor Mark Sanford issued the following statement today in response to a rise in gas prices triggered by fears of damage and supply disruptions tied to Hurricane Ike:

"It's unfortunate, but we've seen this movie before in South Carolina when supply disruptions were caused by Hurricane Katrina, and then by Hurricane Rita," Gov. Sanford said. "When that happened three years ago, we got through it as South Carolinians with common-sense conservation and patience - and I'd ask that South Carolinians do the same over the coming days.

"I'd respectfully suggest that means avoiding the temptation to rush out and fill up everything we have, because at the end of the day that's only going to make this pricing situation worse. Instead, this is a time to think of ways in which each of us can make a difference on what may come our way if refineries in Texas are significantly damaged. It might mean riding to the football games with a neighbor or on Sunday riding to church with a friend. It might mean watching a video at home rather than going to the movies or riding to work with a co-worker. The bottom line is there are a lot of things we can do to each make a difference, and I'd ask that we do so.

"That being said, we'll obviously be keeping a close eye on the situation to determine what if anything the state can do to help, including exploring options with the federal government to ease fuel transportation into the state."