Proclamation 4485—Declaring a Natural Gas Emergency

Abnormal weather conditions have caused prevailing temperatures in the United States, particularly in the East and Midwest, to be well below normal for the past three months. Many interstate natural gas pipelines and local natural gas distribution companies do not have sufficient supplies of flowing or stored gas to meet current demand. The shortage of natural gas available to some interstate pipelines and local distribution companies has been so severe as to cause them to curtail or to be in imminent danger of curtailing natural gas supplies to residences, small commercial establishments and other high priority users, so as to endanger life or health, and risk damage to plant or other facilities.

Other interstate pipelines and distribution companies, however, have more than adequate supplies of natural gas to meet the needs of residences, small commercial establishments and other high priority users.

In light of the severe shortage of natural gas supplies available to some firms and the disparity of natural gas supplies in various regions of the United States, the exercise of extraordinary authority for emergency deliveries and transportation of natural gas pursuant to Section 4 of the Emergency Natural Gas Act of 1977 is necessary to assist in meeting the requirements of natural gas for residences, small commercial establishments, and other high priority users in the United States or regions thereof. No measures other than those authorized by Section 4 of the Emergency Natural Gas Act of 1977 are adequate to assist in meeting the requirements of natural gas for residences, small commercial establishments, and other high priority users in the United States or regions thereof.

Now, Therefore, I, Jimmy Carter, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and statutes of the United States, including the Emergency Natural Gas Act of 1977, do hereby proclaim and declare that a natural gas emergency exists within the meaning of Section 3 of said Act.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this second day of February, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred seventy-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and first.

JIMMY CARTER