U.S. issues fuel waivers for 38 states as Harvey shuts refineries

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday it has approved emergency fuel waivers for 38 states and Washington, D.C. after Tropical Storm Harvey shut refineries and spiked gasoline prices.

The regulator waived requirements for reformulated gasoline and low volatility conventional gasoline through Sept. 15 in Texas, Louisiana, and other states mostly in the East and Midwest. The EPA and the Department of Energy will take other steps if extreme and unusual supply crunches hit other areas, the regulator said.

(Reporting by Timothy Gardner; editing by Grant McCool)