N.J. Gov. Murphy declares emergency to ease propane delivery woes caused by Delco facility disruption

Robert Moran, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Dec 11, 2025

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With the region in the grips of bitter cold, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday declared a state of emergency due to "anticipated impacts on the delivery of propane" for homes and businesses because of a service disruption at a Delaware County distribution facility.

The declaration allows operators of commercial vehicles transporting propane to drive for 14 hours instead of the normal limit of 11 hours before taking the mandatory 10 hours of off-duty after a shift.

"I am declaring a State of Emergency to ensure that the approximately 186,000 New Jerseyans who rely on propane for home heating purposes can receive it without interruption. This Executive Order expands delivery capabilities to keep homes heated and families secure," Murphy said in a statement.

The declaration, which takes effect 9 a.m. Friday, will remain in effect until Murphy determines that the emergency no longer exists, according to the governor's executive order containing the declaration.

The rules for commercial truck driving are governed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, but a federal waiver is available during a declared state of emergency, according to the executive order.

The National Propane Gas Association said on its website that an electric transformer at the Marcus Hook Terminal on Nov. 19 "suffered an incident which disabled the propane truck-loading rack for three days, and created lingering problems at the terminal."

Energy Transfer Partners, which operates the terminal, has been unable to pump propane from its storage cavern, the association said.

"Wait times at the terminal have been increasing, and given that the terminal is loading directly from the pipeline, the time to load is taking longer than normal," the association said, adding later that the timing for repairs is uncertain.

A representative for Energy Transfer could not be reached for comment Thursday evening.