xvEPA
United States                                  Office of Transportation and Air Quality
Environmental Protection                                         EPA-420-F-14-060
Agency                                                        November 2014
       EPA Guidance on Use of Distillate Fuel for North American ECA Compliance
 Question: Does the U.S. Government require the use of lower sulfur distillate (such as 15 ppm
 distillate fuel) for compliance with the 0.10% m/m ECA fuel sulfur standard, which begins 1
 January 2015, if no other compliant fuel is available?

 Answer: Yes. Beginning 1 January 2015, under Annex VI, the North American and United
 States Caribbean Sea EGAs require that the sulfur content of the fuel oil used onboard ships
 operating in these areas may not exceed 0.10% m/m. The United States expects that a ship will
 use any compliant fuel that is available containing no more than 0.10% m/m sulfur content,
 including using  distillate fuel or marine gas oil with a much lower sulfur content, even at or
 below 15 ppm sulfur. In the instance that engine operating requirements, or fuel parameters such
 as flashpoint or viscosity, are a concern with the use of a lower sulfur marine distillate, please
 see EPA's Fuel  Oil Non-Availability Report guidance. Fuel oil that complies with the 0.10%
 m/m sulfur standard is expected to be available for ships that plan to operate in the North
 American and United States Caribbean Sea EGAs.

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