United States Air and Radiation EPA420-F-97-044
Environmental Protection December 1997
Agency
Office of Mobile Sources
&EPA Regulatory
Announcement
Modifications to the Standards and
Requirements for Reformulated and
Conventional Gasoline
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is amending the
regulations establishing standards and requirements for reformulated
gasoline (RFG) and conventional gasoline. This final rule will reduce
the compliance burden on regulated parties and associated costs to
the public, yet keep the environmental benefits of the RFG and
conventional gasoline programs.
The RFG Program
In the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, Congress mandated EPA to
promulgate regulations requiring that gasoline sold in certain areas be
reformulated to reduce vehicle emissions of toxic and ozone-forming
compounds. EPA published rules for the certification and enforcement
of RFG and provisions for conventional gasoline on February 16, 1994
(59 FR 7716).
Based on experience gained since these regulations went into effect,
EPA proposed numerous changes to the regulations on July 11, 1997,
relating to emission standards, emission models, compliance related
requirements and enforcement provisions. The proposed changes
involve both the RFG and conventional gasoline programs.
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Amendments to RFC Program
This rule:
• finalizes certain changes to the RFG and
conventional gasoline regulations relat-
ing to use of the Complex Model, which
is required for demonstrating compliance
with the regulations beginning on Janu-
ary 1, 1998;
• eliminates the NOx per-gallon minimum
standards for Complex Model averaged
RFG;
• increases the required number of gaso-
line quality surveys as a more cost-
effective way to ensure that each area
covered by the program receives the full
environmental benefits of the NOx
average standards for RFG; and
• modifies the affirmative defenses
against a violation of the fuels regula-
tions for tank truck carriers.
This rule does not finalize all the revisions
that were proposed on July 11, 1997. The
remaining changes will be addressed at a
later date.
Public Health and
Environmental Benefits
RFG protects public health and the envi-
ronment by reducing harmful vehicle
emissions of ozone-forming compounds
and air toxics. The requirements for
conventional gasoline prohibit refiners and
importers from producing or importing
conventional gasoline that has greater
emissions than the refiner's or importer's
1990 gasoline production. Many of the
modifications in this rule are technical in
nature, or provide industry with greater
flexibility to comply with the regulations.
The changes to the regulations will not
compromise the environmental benefits of
the RFG and conventional gasoline pro-
grams.
Effect on Industry
For refiners and importers of gasoline, the
final rule will reduce burdens and costs
associated with demonstrating compliance
under the reformulated and conventional
gasoline regulations. In addition, it will
streamline and clarify certain regulatory
requirements and correct certain typo-
graphical and other technical errors in the
regulations. This regulation provides a
more appropriate method for tank truck
carriers of motor vehicle fuel to establish a
defense against a violation of the fuels
regulations.
For More Information
For further information on this final rule,
please contact Marilyn Bennett at:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Mobile Sources (6406J)
401 M Street SW
Washington, DC 20460
202-564-8989
Additional documents on the RFG program
are available electronically from the EPA
Internet server at:
http://www.epa.gov/OMSWWW/rfg.htm
or by contacting Russ Banush at:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Mobile Sources
2565 Plymouth Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
734-668-4333
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