EPA Announces Notice for Regulation of Fuel and Fuel Additives: Modification to Octa mix Waiver The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing notice and seeking comment on a request from Spirit of 21 st Century LLC to allow an alternative corrosion inhibitor, TXCeed, to be used within Texas Methanol's gasoline-alcohol fuel, also known as OCTAMIX. Elements of this Notice This notice provides notice to the public and seeks comment on the request from Spirit of 21st Century LLC to allow an alternative corrosion inhibitor, TXCeed, to be used within Texas Methanol's gasoline'alcohol fuel, also known as OCTAMIX, The Texas Methanol Corporation received a waiver under CAA section 211(f)(4) for a gasoline'alcohol fuel blend, known as OCTAMIX,1 provided that the resultant fuel is composed of a maximum of 3.7 percent by weight fuel oxygen, a maximum of 5 percent by volume methanol, a minimum of 2.5 percent by volume cO'Solvents2 and 42.7 milligrams per liter (mg/1) of Petrolite TOLAD MFA'10 corrosion inhibi' tor3. In the OCTAMIX waiver, the Agency invited other corrosion inhibitor manu- facturers to submit test data to establish, on a case-by-case basis, whether their fuel additive formulations are acceptable as alternatives to TOLAD MFA'10.4 1 OCTAMIX decision, 53 FR 3636 (February 8, 1988). 2 The co-solvents are any one or a mixture of ethanol, propanols, butanols, pentanols, hexanols, heptanols and octanols with the following constraints; the ethanol, propanols and butanols or mixtures thereof must compose a minimum of 60 percent by weight of the co-solvent mixture; a maximum limit of 40 percent by weight of the co-solvents mixture is placed on the pentanols, hexanols, heptanols and octanols; and the heptanols and octanols are limited to 5 percent by weight of the co-solvent mixture. 3 Additional conditions were the final fuel must meet ASTM volatility specifications contained in ASTM D439-85a, as well as phase separation conditions specified in ASTM D-2 Proposal P-176 and Texas Methanol alcohol purity specifications. 4 53 FR at 3637. SEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Transportation and Air Quality EPA-420-F-11-047 December 2011 ------- On March 23, 2011, Spirit of 21st Century LLC requested EPA allow the use of its alternative corrosion inhibitor, TXCeed, in the OCTAMIX gasoline-alcohol fuel blend which otherwise would not be allowed under the waiver. Spirit of 21st Century LLC subsequently followed up its March 23rd request with additional information on May 17, 2011 and August 15, 2011. TX- Ceed is a fuel additive formulation consisting of a corrosion inhibitor. EPA will examine the data submitted by Spirit of 21st Century LLC, along with all comments received from interested parties, to determine whether use of the corrosion inhibitor, TXCeed, in place of the original corrosion inhibitor TOLAD MFA-10, would cause or contribute to vehicles or engines failing to meet their emissions standards when using OCTAMIX. If use of TXCeed does not cause or contribute to such failures, EPA will modify the OCTAMIX waiver to allow the use of TXCeed as an alternative corrosion inhibitor to TOLAD MFA-10, Health and Environmental Impacts There will be no adverse health or environmental impact as a result of allowing this alternative corrosion inhibitor, TXCeed, and the clean air benefits of EPA's gasoline motor vehicle fuel programs will continue to be realized. Gasoline Supply Benefits This action may provide additional flexibility to the regulated community by allowing an additional corrosion inhibitor for use in Texas Methanol's gasoline-alcohol fuel, also known as OCTAMIX. The notice rule solicits comments on allowing this alternative corrosion inhibitor. Public Participation Opportunities We welcome your comments on this notice. Comments will be accepted for 30 days beginning when this notice is published in the Federal Register. All comments should be identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2011-0893 and submitted by one of the following methods: Internet: www.regulations.gov E-mail: A-and-R-Docket@epa.gov Mail: Environmental Protection Agency Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center (6102T) 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20460 Hand Delivery: EPA West Building EPA Docket Center (Room 3340) 1301 Constitution Avenue NW Washington, DC ------- For More Information You can access the rule and related documents on EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) Web site at: www.epa.gov/otaq/fuels/registrationfuels/notices.htm For more information on this rule, please contact Joe Sopata at: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Transportation and Air Quality (6406J) 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20460 (202) 343-9034 E-mail: sopata.joe@epa.gov ------- |