BOSTON – Gov. Deval L. Patrick announced last week that Massachusetts is helping facilitate gasoline shipments to New York and New Jersey as those states recover from Hurricane Sandy.

According to a statement, New York Harbor serves as a primary fuel-distribution center for the East Coast, including New England. Hurricane Sandy damaged the petroleum terminals there and disrupted the regional fuel-distribution network. Ships that have not been able to offload in New York Harbor can now do so in Massachusetts waters by transferring their content onto smaller barges in order to get fuel to Boston-area terminals. The fuel will then be transported by trucks between Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey.

Several Massachusetts agencies are coordinating to help facilitate and expedite these shipments. Mass. State Police will not be enforcing weight restrictions on fuel trucks and the Mass. Department of Revenue will expedite license applications and temporarily waive the $100 licensing fee for exporters who come to Massachusetts to pick up fuel for transit to New York and New Jersey.

Additionally, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency is coordinating and responding to mutual-aid requests from those states most impacted by Hurricane Sandy. •