United States Air and Radiation EPA420-F-97-018
Environmental Protection October 1997
Agency
Office of Mobile Sources
&EPA Regulatory
Announcement
Gasoline Detergent Additives
Enforcement and Recordkeeping
Requirements
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is removing a selected
recordkeeping provision under the regulation of gasoline detergent
additives. Specifically, the product transfer document (PTD)
requirement regarding the oxygenate content of gasoline is being
removed to avoid disruption to the gasoline distribution system.
This and other proposed changed would provide industry flexibility and
reduce the compliance burden for many regulated parties.
Background
EPA requires the use of additives to control the formation of engine and
fuel supply system deposits in all U.S. gasoline. An interim program has
been in place since 1995 which requires the use of detergents to control
intake valve deposits (IVD) and port fuel injector deposits (PFID) in
gasoline engines, but did not include rigorous performance standards for
the additives. The requirements of the interim program have recently
been replaced by those of the detergent certification program which
requires specific vehicle-based performance testing, using industry-
standard test procedures, to demonstrate the effective control of IVD
and PFID.
As of July 1, 1997, detergent manufacturers have been required to sell
only properly certified detergents to their detergent blending customers.
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In addition, detergent blenders must blend certified detergents at the
prescribed concentration into all gasoline they distribute. Furthermore,
distributors must sell or transfer only gasoline and post-refinery compo-
nents (PRC) properly additized with certified detergents. As of August 1,
1997, gasoline retailers have been required to ensure that all gasoline
sold or transferred to the ultimate consumer is properly additized with
certified detergents. Implementation of the detergent certification pro-
gram will realize the full expected environmental benefits of controlling
IVD and PFID, namely, reductions in emissions of hydrocarbons (HC),
carbon monoxide (CO), and oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and improvement
of fuel economy.
Under the detergent certification program, as an alternative to the use of
generic-certified detergents which can be used in any U.S. gasoline
regardless of composition, specially-certified detergents may be used
that are optimized relative to the deposit control requirements of segre-
gated gasoline pools (i.e., nonoxygenated gasoline, MTBE-containing
gasoline, etc.). The option to use such use-restricted detergents provides
the potential for reduced additive cost compared to generic-certified
detergents. To facilitate the proper use of oxygenate-restricted deter-
gents, the certification rule required PTDs to identify all of the oxygen-
ates present. Since the publication of the certification rule, members of
the gasoline refining and distribution industry informed EPA that report-
ing oxygenate content on gasoline PTDs is not typical industry practice
and that implementation of this requirement would, as an unintended
consequence, significantly disrupt gasoline distribution. EPA exercised
its enforcement discretion by announcing that it would temporarily not
enforce the requirement until its removal is addressed through the direct
final rule that is part of this action, or until December 31, 1997, which
ever comes first.
Amendments to PTD Requirements
By direct final rule, EPA is removing the current requirement that gaso-
line PTDs identify all of the oxygenates present. This removal will
become effective unless EPA receives negative public comment or a
request for a public hearing on the subject within the time allotted in the
direct final rule. If EPA decides not to implement the direct final rule
based on such input from the public, a notice will be published regarding
its withdrawal. To permit EPA to take action in the event that adverse
comments are received on the direct final rule, the Agency is proposing
to remove the PTD oxygenate identification requirement.
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Also proposed is a provision whereby the blender who uses a detergent
additive that is restricted in use with respect to oxygenates would be
responsible for determining the oxygenate content of the gasoline in-
volved through alternative means. These amendments would continue to
ensure that detergents with oxygenate restrictions are used in compliance
with such restrictions, and would avoid the unnecessary disruption to the
gasoline distribution system which would occur under the current regula-
tions. To provide additional flexibility to industry, EPA is also proposing
to allow the use of product codes on PTDs for certain transfers of base
gasoline in lieu of regulatory warning language concerning applicable
limitations on the sale and use of such gasolines.
Environmental and Economic Impacts
The regulatory amendments in this action will maintain the emissions
control benefits of the gasoline detergent program. No new information
collections accompany these amendments. To the contrary, adoption of
these amendments is expected to avoid unnecessary disruption to the
current gasoline distribution system which would otherwise occur under
the current regulations. The result will be a reduced compliance burden
for many regulated parties. Certain detergent blenders who wish to
voluntarily use oxygenate-restricted detergents (should such detergents
become available) had argued that the proposed replacement of the
gasoline PTD reporting requirement on oxygenate-content with a re-
quirement applicable only to these blenders would place an unfair
burden on the fuel's end-user to establish such information. However,
alternative means to establish this information would be available for
parties who wish to voluntarily use oxygenate-restricted detergents, and
generic-certified detergents could be used.
Opportunity for Public Participation
EPA desires full public participation in arriving at final rulemaking
decisions. The Agency solicits comments on all aspects of the Direct
Final Rulemaking (DFRM) and the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
(NPRM). Whenever applicable, full supporting data and detailed analy-
ses should also be submitted to allow EPA to make maximum use of the
comments. Commenters are especially encouraged to provide specific
suggestions for changes to any aspects of the subject amendments that
they believe need to be modified or improved. EPA is currently not
planning additional opportunity for public comment on these amend-
ments outside of that provided in the DFRM and NPRM.
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For instructions on submitting written comments, please see the Federal
Register notices for the DFRM and NPRM. These notices are available
from the EPA Air and Radiation Docket by calling (202) 260-7548;
please refer to Docket No. A-91-77. In addition, the direct final and
proposed rules are available electronically at the Federal Register Web
site listed below. A prepublication electronic copy of these notices is also
available from the EPA Office of Mobile Sources Web site listed below.
Office of Federal Register Web Site: http://www.epa.gov/docs/fedrgstr/
EPA-AIR/ (Either select desired date or use Search feature.)
Office of Mobile Sources Web Site: http://www.epa.gov/OMSWWW/
(Look in "What's New" or under the specific rulemaking topic.)
For Further Information
For further information please contact:
Judith Lubow
U.S. EPA
Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance
Western Field Office
12345 West Alameda Parkway
Suite 214
Lakewood, CO 80228
Telephone: (303) 969-6483
FAX: (303) 969-6490
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