Jones Act waiver issued for tanker off Puerto Rico
Hurricane-devastated Puerto Rico will receive a temporary waiver from the 1920 federal maritime law known as the Jones Act, according to US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
“In response to urgent and immediate needs of the Puerto Rican people in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona, I have approved a temporary and targeted Jones Act waiver to ensure that the people of Puerto Rico have sufficient diesel to run generators needed for electricity and the functioning critical facilities as they recover from Hurricane Fiona,” Mayorkas stated.
The waiver will apply to the GH Parks, a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker owned by Hayfin Capital carrying 300,000 barrels of diesel fuel from Texas. The GH Parks requested the waiver on Sunday and had been waiting off Puerto Rico’s southern coast for a response. Its potential arrival at Puerto Rico has sparked significant debate between supporters and opponents of the Jones Act in recent days.