WASHINGTON, Sept 13: US President George W. Bush announced on Saturday restrictions on imported gasoline had been suspended in response to Hurricane Ike which had forced companies to abandon oil refineries along the Texas coast.

“Last night we suspended EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) waivers on certain reformulated gasoline, which will make it easier for imports from abroad to make it into our markets,” Bush told reporters outside the White House as the powerful hurricane caused massive flooding in the two states.

“In the meantime, the Department of Energy, the Federal Trade Commission and I know state authorities will be monitoring the gasoline prices to make sure consumers are not being gouged, to make sure consumers are being treated fairly,” Bush said.The US president said the government would deploy generators to help restore power.

The storm forced oil companies to abandon 13 refineries representing a combined capacity of 3.7 million barrels of crude oil per day -- a fifth of US refinery capacity.

Several offshore rigs and platforms were also evacuated ahead of the storm, which Chertoff on Friday said could produce “catastrophic effects.”—AFP