U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., said tapping the U.S. emergency petroleum stockpiles to ease Hurricane Katrina's impact on affected refineries is a "no-brainer," and urged the administration to take swift action.

"It's really unbelievable, in a way, that it took a hurricane to push the administration closer toward taking the action I have been suggesting for months," Rahall said. "I don't know what will happen in the coming days and weeks, but I hope that the administration will consider all the facts and do more than just put a band-aid on this problem. We need short-term relief and a long-term solution and we need them now."

The price of oil hit another new high on Monday just over $70 a barrel and then leveled off to $67.20 - as one of the biggest hurricanes to hit the U.S. forced much oil and gas production to shut down along America's southern Gulf Coast. The Gulf of Mexico represents about 8% of U.S. refining capacity. The rise prompted concern from the head of the OPEC oil cartel. Some experts are warning the price could rise further and could top $80, $90, even $100 a barrel.

"Our Republican leadership has their backs against the wall now," Rahall said. "They have to respond to this. It's my hope that they will address this for the large-scale crisis that it is. Right now I am hearing that the reserves, if opened, would be used to provide refineries a ‘temporary' supply of crude oil to replace interrupted shipments from tankers and offshore platforms affected by the storm. Language like that amazes me. It sounds like they are still managing to look past the white elephant in the room. I hope I am wrong."

Rahall said while Hurricane Katrina is to blame for the most recent jump in crude oil prices, there are longer-term, underlying reasons that need to be dealt with.

"It's really basic economics," Rahall said. "World oil supply is not meeting increased demand. We don't have the reserves we had in previous years. One of these variables has to change, and while a certain degree of personal moderation is certainly encouraged, West Virginia commuters can't bike 30, 40, 50 miles to work every day and our farmers can't run their tractors on fumes no matter how much they might like to. That means we've got to do something about this supply shortage."

Rahall has proposed many different options for alleviating the pressure of high gas prices on the people of southern West Virginia. He is a proponent of alternative fuels to gasoline, especially coal-based fuels including liquid or gaseous coal-based fuels. Rahall has also urged the Administration to conduct an investigation into the possibility of price fixing by the Big Oil companies. Another suggestion for lowering gas prices made by Rahall was that the Administration pressure OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) to increase oil production.

If supplies remain scarce, prices will remain volatile and the oil industry will remain vulnerable, Rahall said.

"Until things are stabilized, any event that disrupts supply or increases demand will prompt a scare of a shortage and shoot prices up," Rahall predicted. "We're only halfway through hurricane season and, Heaven forbid, another hit would be devastating for us. And it's not too early to start thinking about the colder months either, when many people depend on oil to heat their homes. This thing is a ticking time-bomb and time is running out."