PIERRE, S.D. (Press Release) – Governor Kristi Noem has signed an executive order granting extended hours of service for commercial delivery of propane products in South Dakota.

The order declares a state of emergency and exempts delivery of propane from federal motor carrier regulations on drivers’ hours of service. Noem said South Dakotans are currently faced with low inventories and propane outages.

“It’s been an incredibly difficult year for producers. The last thing farmers and ranchers need to deal with is a lack of propane to fuel their equipment,” said Noem. “Our ag operations are dependent on a continued transportation of propane, and we need to ensure that supplies are maintained so producers can carry out normal harvest operations.’’

South Dakota producers are faced with extremely low inventories of propane supplies as a result of market conditions impacted by severe season weather and increased heating fuel demands.

Although hours of service have been temporarily suspended for commercial deliveries, companies may not require or allow fatigued drivers to make deliveries, Noem said.

The executive order was signed Nov. 1 and expires at midnight Nov. 30, 2019. All road safety and vehicle compliance regulations still apply.