The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration earlier this week extended and modified its regional emergency declaration it had issued earlier this month in response to the extreme winter weather blanketing much of the country, increasing demand for hearting fuels.
The new declaration expires Feb. 15 or the end of the emergency conditions end.
The original declaration included all 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C. The modified and extended declaration includes 39 states and D.C. No longer included in the new declaration are Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and Ohio.
The first declaration waived the maximum the hours-of-service regulations in 49 CFR 395.3 for drivers providing direct assistance to emergency relief efforts transporting heating fuel, including propane, natural gas, and heating oil. It was set to expire Friday.
The modified declaration covers motor carriers and drivers providing direct assistance supporting emergency relief efforts transporting heating fuel, including propane, natural gas, and heating oil, and gasoline and diesel fuel into the affected states.
J.B. Hunt turns on large solar facility
J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. recently announced its launching of a solar facility in Gentry, Arkansas, that will generate enough electricity to offset up to 80% of the power used by its three main corporate campus buildings in Lowell, Arkansas.
The 40-acre solar facility includes nearly 18,000 solar panels and 10,000-plus bi-facial solar modules to capture sunlight, which is then converted to electricity and transmitted to a nearby electric grid for Carroll County Electric. The facility will produce approximately 9.3M kWh annually and utilize net metering, which helps transfer surplus power onto the power grid.
“By commissioning this solar facility, J.B. Hunt is demonstrating our commitment to enhancing the communities we serve and to investing in economically viable practices aimed at creating a more sustainable supply chain,” said Greer Woodruff, executive vice president of safety, sustainability and maintenance at J.B. Hunt. “The annual amount of clean energy generated by the J.B. Hunt Solar Facility will be equivalent to that used by nearly 1,200 homes. And, by drawing power from the sun and not a carbon-based source, the carbon dioxide kept from entering the atmosphere will be equivalent to eliminating 1,400 passenger vehicles from the road each year. This is a great example of how we can create a more sustainable Northwest Arkansas for future generations who will also call it home.”
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