May 12, 2021 The largest gasoline pipeline on the US east coast remained closed on May 12, after a May 8 cyberattack on its owner, Colonial Pipeline. As the closure drags on, concern over a potential regional fuel shortage is mounting. American Airlines added refueling stops to two long-distance flights out of Charlotte, North Carolina, and drivers across the region found a growing number of gas stations out of stock, and rising prices in places that still have supply. In a press conference May 11, US energy secretary Jennifer Granholm said the pipeline is expected to be operational by the weekend, and that Colonial will announce a definitive timeline by the end of May 12. In the meantime, Granholm’s department and the Environmental Protection Agency have issued temporary waivers of federal restrictions on interstate gasoline tanker trucks, which should facilitate the flow of fuel from refineries in the Gulf Coast to gas stations further north. The Department of Homeland Security is also considering waiving the Jones Act, which requires marine vessels moving between US ports to be US-flagged and crewed; that would free up foreign charter tankers to help move fuel.