EPA Approves Requests from Florida and North Carolina to Relax the Summer Gasoline Volatility Standard for Florida and the Raleigh- Durham-Chapel Hill Area and the Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point Area in North Carolina The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a final rulemaking to relax the applicable RVP standard in Florida and in the Triangle and Triad Areas in North Carolina, during the summer season (June 1st to September 15th). Summary The EPA is approving a request from Florida to relax the federal Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) standard applicable to gasoline introduced into commerce in the Miami, Tampa and Jacksonville areas. The EPA is also approving a similar request from North Carolina to relax the RVP standard in the Triangle and Triad Areas. These changes apply during the summer high ozone season - June 1st to September 15th, This action amends our regulations to change the summertime RVP standard for these areas from 7.8 pounds per square inch (psi) to 9.0 psi. The EPA has determined that this change to our federal RVP regulations is consistent with the applicable provisions of the Clean Air Act. The requests from Florida and North Carolina dem- onstrate that all of these areas can implement the 9.0 psi RVP standard and maintain the 8-hour ozone NAAQS. Key Elements • This rule relaxes the volatility requirements for gasoline in three areas in Florida and two areas in North Carolina as described above, during the summer (June 1st to September 15th). The final rule will become effective on May 30, 2014. It is beneficial to these areas because the action will improve SEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Transportation and Air Quality EPA-420-F-14-013a May 2014 ------- the fungibility of gasoline. In other words when this rule becomes effective the gasoline sold in these areas will be identical to the fuel sold now in the rest of Florida and in most of North Carolina. For motorists the change in summertime gasoline volatility specifica tions will be virtually unnoticeable, • All of these areas have attained the health'based ozone NAAQS. This rule was dependent upon the approval of revisions of maintenance plans and a demonstration that each area would maintain the ozone NAAQS using gasoline that meets the less stringent require- ment. Florida submitted the revised maintenance plans and maintenance demonstrations in August 2013 and North Carolina made its submissions in March 2013 for the Triangle Area and in April 2013 for the Triad Area. Region 4 approved Florida's submission in January 2014 (79 FR 573). The Region approved North Carolina's submissions for the Triangle and Triangle Areas in January 2014 (79 FR 47 and 79 FR 4082, respectively). Background In 1987, EPA determined that gasoline nationwide had become increasingly volatile, causing an increase in evaporative emissions from gasoline-powered vehicles and equipment. Evaporative emissions from gasoline, referred to as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are precursors to the formation of tropospheric ozone and contribute to the nation's ground'level ozone problem. Ground-level ozone causes health problems, including damaged lung tissue, reduced lung function, and lung sensitization to other pollutants. To provide for cleaner air and greater public health protection, EPA enforces maximum limits for the RVP (the most common measure of fuel volatility) of gasoline sold during the summer ozone control season - June 1st to September 15th. EPA's current regulations establish maximum RVP standards of 9.0 psi or 7.8 psi (depending on the State, the month, and the area's initial ozone attainment designation with respect to the 1'hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard or "NAAQS") during the ozone control season. In order to relax the applicable RVP standard in an area where the more stringent RVP level is required, an area must be designated as (or redesignated to) attainment and submit a mainte- nance plan demonstrating continued attainment of the ozone NAAQS with the less stringent RVP standard in place. All of these areas are designated as attainment areas for the 2008 ozone NAAQS as well as the earlier 1997 8-hour ozone NAAQS and the 1-hour ozone NAAQS. As described above all of these areas have demonstrated that they will continue to attain the ozone NAAQS after the summertime RVP limit has been relaxed. 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/gasolinefuels/volatility/regulations.htm. ------- For further information on this Final Rule, please contact: Rudy Kapichak U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Transportation and Air Quality 2000 Traverwood Drive Ann Arbor, MI48105 Phone: 734-214-4574 Fax:734-214-4052 Email: kapichak.rudolph@epa.gov ------- |