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Iowa Propane Pinch Prompts Emergency Declaration

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The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued an emergency declaration for Iowa and several other Midwest states in response to an extreme demand for propane.

CEO of the Iowa Propane Gas Association Deb Grooms said part of the problem is that farmers in all of these states are trying to complete their harvest at the same time.

"What I’m hearing from my farmers and my propane retailers is that it’s taking a lot more to dry the corn because it is coming out so wet, so we are using a lot more propane than anticipated for drying the corn this year,” Grooms said.

The declaration means truckers who are hauling the propane do not have to count the time they sit in line at a terminal against the hours they are actually on the road transporting it.

Grooms said much of the LP being brought into Iowa is coming from Kansas. The other states covered under the declaration are Kansas, Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska and South Dakota.

Grooms explains the situation has prompted a cooperative spirit.

“We have had trucks from a lot of the southern states volunteer to come up and help transport and that is a big thing for us to have other people helping us do that,” she said.

In addition, Grooms said some farmers have volunteered to delay drying their corn so deliveries can be made to home owners and livestock producers who depend on the propane to keep themselves and their animals warm.

Pat Blank is the host of All Things Considered