West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey on Tuesday, October 20, declared a 60-day state of emergency across all 55 counties and signed an executive order giving temporary relief for the use of red-dyed diesel fuel on the state's highways, his office said.

Dyed diesel is normally reserved for off-road equipment such as farm and construction machinery and is taxed at a lower rate. Under the order, the state will suspend the penalties, citations and prosecutions ordinarily tied to using it on public roads, and state agencies will stop inspections and fuel-tank sampling aimed specifically at detecting dyed diesel. An International Fuel Tax Association (IFTA) notice summarising the executive order says the enforcement suspension covers conduct beginning October 21 and lasts until the emergency ends or the order is rescinded.

The governor's office put the saving at 20.5 cents per gallon — yaani about $41 on a single 200-gallon fill for a truck, and far more across a fleet. It cited AAA figures showing the average price of diesel in West Virginia reached $6.34 per gallon on October 20, compared with $3.57 at the same time last year, and said rising prices and limited supply threaten deliveries of essential goods, farm operations and emergency services. "Transportation costs affect the prices we pay at the grocery store and throughout our economy," Morrisey said.

The state move follows federal relief: President Donald Trump signed an executive order on October 5 providing temporary federal relief for the highway use of red-dyed diesel. The relief has clear limits — it does not suspend West Virginia's motor-fuel excise tax, does not override federal law, and commercial-vehicle safety inspections remain in force, according to the governor's office and the IFTA notice. Truckers crossing state lines must still track mileage and purchases under IFTA rules, and news reports noted the dye can remain detectable in a tank after it is refilled with clear diesel, so fleets are advised to keep purchase records. WSAZ and WVVA independently confirmed the 60-day declaration and the halt to dyed-diesel inspections. Sources: WV Office of the Governor (governor.wv.gov); WSAZ; WVVA via The American Quorum; IFTA notice.