There are four gas stations in the Village of Chester, which is situated along Route 17M, paralleling Route 17. Being in southern Orange County, people from New Jersey have been driving up, filling their vehicles and extra gas cans.
There were many as 50 or 60 vehicles lined up at stations at one time and have been running out of gas until new shipments arrive.
That prompted Mayor Philip Valastro to impose a $50 limit on each motorist’s purchase.
“Even if they want to take some for their car and fill up a couple of gas cans for their car, just so every person around here, our neighbors, whether it is in Monroe, Chester or Goshen need gas, they can come here and everybody can have gas,” Valastro said. “Everybody is having problems; everybody has children and young children so I am trying to get a share for everybody.”
The mayor’s concern is that some Jersey folks have been coming to the village, filling up several gas cans and selling them back home for as much as $50 per gallon.
“This is a self-initiated frenzy because people are thinking we are not going to get any gas,” Valastro said. “There are barges at the terminals in Newburgh unloading barges there as we speak with another one waiting to unload. There is plentiful gas coming in. It’s just a fact of refilling station by station.”
The mayor said it is hoped that by Election Day, there will be plentiful gas.
