The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Sunday issued a regional emergency declaration in 17 states and the District of Columbia in response to the shutdown of one of the largest pipelines in the U.S., which supplies around 45 percent of fuel consumed by the East Coast. The regional emergency declaration from the Department of Transportation lifts restrictions for motor carriers and drivers who are providing assistance to areas that are suffering a shortages of "gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and other refined petroleum products" in the wake of the Colonial pipeline shutdown. The regional emergency declaration affects the following territories: Alabama, Arkansas, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.