The US government enacted emergency powers in an effort to keep fuel supply lines open as fears of shortages rose following the shutdown of an essential pipeline. “This declaration addresses the emergency conditions creating a need for immediate transportation of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other refined petroleum products and provides necessary relief,” the US transportation department said on Sunday. Large pipelines increasingly rely on automation to monitor flows and pressure and control batches of deliveries of petroleum products, increasing the potential disruption of a hack. Adam Kinzinger, Republican congressman from Illinois, said the attack on the Colonial pipeline underscored the importance of investing in critical infrastructure and energy projects. and focus on things like critical infrastructure in the future,” he told CBS News.

Source: The Irish Times May 10, 2021 11:25 UTC