EPA Proposes to Approve Request
from Louisiana to Relax the Federal
Summer Gasoline Volatility Standard
in Baton Rouge
r I 4ie U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a
JL notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to relax the federal Reid
Vapor Pressure (RVP) standard applicable to gasoline sold in the five
Louisiana parishes of East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Livings*
ton, Ascension, and Iberville (the Baton Rouge area). This action
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•	This proposed rulemaking is in response to an April 10, 2017 request from Louisiana to
relax the federal summertime gasoline volatility requirements for 16 parishes, including
the five parishes covered by this proposed action. EPA approved Louisiana's request to
relax summertime gasoline volatility requirements for the other 11 parishes in a separate
rulemaking on December 26, 2017 (82 FR 60886).
•	Louisiana submitted a CAA section 175 A maintenance plan revision with a section
110(1) non-interference demonstration to EPA on January 30, 2018. EPA proposed the
approval of the State's submission on April 13, 2018 (83 FR 16017) and finalized that
approval on May 25, 2018 (83 FR 24226). The maintenance plan revision rulemaking
concluded that the relaxation of the federal RVP gasoline requirement would not inter-
fere with continued maintenance of the 2008 ozone NAAQS or any other applicable
NAAQS, including the 2015 ozone NAAQS. Now that the maintenance plan revision
and non-interference demonstration have been approved EPA is proceeding with pro-
posing approval of relaxing the RVP standard in the Baton Rouge area.
•	Relaxing the volatility requirements for gasoline sold in the five Louisiana parishes could
be beneficial because this action would improve the fungibility of gasoline in the Baton
Rouge area meaning that if this proposed rulemaking becomes final and effective, the
gasoline sold in the five parishes can be identical to the fuel now sold in the parishes
surrounding Baton Rouge as well as in the rest of Louisiana. For motorists, the change in
summertime gasoline volatility specifications would be virtually unnoticed.
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 func-
tion, and lung sensitization to other pollutants.
The most common measure of fuel volatility is RVP. To provide for cleaner air and greater public
health protection, EPA enforces maximum limits on the RVP of gasoline sold during the summer
ozone season which runs from June 1 to September 15 of each year. Specifically, EPA's regula-
tions at 40 CFR 80.27(a)(2) establish maximum RVP standards of 9.0 psi or 7.8 psi depending
on the state, the month, and the area's initial ozone designation with respect to the ozone
National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS).
To relax the applicable federal RVP standard in an area where the more stringent federal RVP of
7.8 psi is required, an area must be designated as (or redesignated to) attainment. If the redesig-
nated area is still covered by a Clean Air Act (CAA) section 175A maintenance plan require-
ment, then it must also submit a revised maintenance plan demonstrating continued attainment
of the ozone NAAQS with the less stringent RVP standard in place.
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The five parishes covered by the proposed rule were redesignated to attainment for the 2008
ozone NAAQS on December 27, 2016 (81 FR 95051) and have been designated attainment/
unclassifiable for the 2015 ozone NAAQS. When the Baton Rouge area was redesignated to
attainment for the 2008 ozone NAAQS, the State assumed 7.8 RVP summertime fuel as part of
its maintenance plan. For EPA to act on Louisiana's subsequent request to relax the summertime
RVP requirement from 7.8 psi to 9.0 psi, the State needed to revise the approved CAA section
175 A maintenance plan and submit a section 110(1) non-interference demonstration for the
Baton Rouge area showing that the higher RVP fuel would not interfere with the area's ability to
maintain attainment of the standard or any other applicable CAA requirements.
For More Information
You can access the rule and related documents on EPA's Office of Transportation and
Air Quality Web site at:
www.epa.gov/otaq/fuels/gasolinefuels/volatility/index.htm
For further information on this NPRM, please contact:
Dave Sosnowski
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Transportation and Air Quality
2000 Traverwood Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
734-214-4823
E-mail: sosnowski.dave@epa.gov
Or
Rudy Kapichak
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Transportation and Air Quality
2000 Traverwood Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
734-214-4574
E-mail: kapichak.rudolph@epa.gov
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