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September 8, 2005 8:30 AM, EDT

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alifornia is considering temporarily relaxing its strict gasoline pollution standards to help avert potential shortages in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.

The California Air Resources Board plans to consider an emergency action Thursday reducing the emissions standards normally in place until Oct. 31 in most parts of the state, the Times said.

The action would permit the early sale of so-called winter gasoline and waive the requirement to sell summer gasoline during the remainder of the high-ozone season, the paper reported.

Following the storm, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it would temporarily allow the nationwide distribution of gasoline with a lower evaporative standard than some states, including California, require. (Click here for previous coverage.)

On Tuesday, CARB recommended similar action, saying the state could lose 5% to 10% of its gasoline supplies because of its reduced ability to import what's known as finished gas and blend stocks, the Times said.

"The decrease in supply would be expected to have a significant adverse effect on the availability and price of gasoline in California and surrounding states," a CARB report said, the Times reported.