G/TBT/N/MEX/332  
16 November 2016  
(16-6299) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  Spanish  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.  
 
1. Notifying Member : MEXICO  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):  
2. Agency responsible : Agencia Nacional de Seguridad Industr ial y de Protección al Medio 
Ambiente del Sector Hidrocarburos  (National Agency for Industrial Safety and 
Environmental Protection in the Hydrocarbon Sector)  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above : Comisión 
Reguladora de Energía (la Comisión) a través del Comité Consultivo Nacional de 
Normalización de Seguridad Industrial y Oper ativa y Protección al Medio Ambiente del 
Sector Hidrocarburos  (Energy Regulatory Commission (the Commission) through the 
National Advisory Committee on Standardization for Industrial and Operational Safety and 
Environmental Protection in the Hydrocarbon Se ctor) 
Contact person : Carlos Salvador de Regules Ruiz -Funes  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ ], 2.10.1 [X], 5.6.2 [ ], 5.7.1 [ ], other:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading . ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable) : Vapour 
recovery systems  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document : NOM-EM-002-
ASEA -2016, Que establece los métodos de prueba y parámetros para la operación, 
mantenimiento y eficiencia de los sistemas d e recuperación de vapores de gasolinas en 
estaciones de servicio para expendio al público de gasolinas, para el control de emisiones  
(Emergency Mexican Official Standard NOM -EM-002-ASEA -2016 establishing test methods 
and parameters for the operation, maint enance and efficiency of gasoline vapour recovery 
systems in service stations selling gasoline to the public, for emission control purposes) 
(23 pages, in Spanish)  
6. Description of content : The notified Emergency Mexican Official Standard applies to 
vapour recovery systems in service stations selling gasoline to the public that are located 
in the delegations and municipalities covered by the Atmospheric Environmental 
Contingency Programme applicable to the Metropolitan Area of the Valley of Mexico.  
Delega tions: Álvaro Obregón, Azcapotzalco, Benito Juárez, Coyoacán, Cuajimalpa, 
Cuauhtémoc, Gustavo A. M adero, Iztacalco, Iztapalapa, Magdalena Contreras, Miguel 
Hidalgo, Milpa Alta, Tláhuac, Tlalpan, Venustiano Carranza and Xochimilco.  
Municipalities : Atizapán de Zaragoza, Coacalco, Cuautitlán, Cuautitlán Izcalli, Chalco, 
Chicoloapan, Chimalhuacán, Ecatepec, Huixquilucan, Ixtapaluca, Naucalpan, 
Nezahualcóyotl, Nicolás Romero, La Paz, Tecámac, Tlalnepantla de Baz, Tultitlán and Valle 
de Chalco.  G/TBT/N/MEX/332  
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  7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable : The notified text establishes test methods and parameters for the operation, 
maintenance and efficiency of gasoline vapour recovery systems in service stations selling 
gasoline to the pub lic, for emission control purposes.  
In view of the high number of environmental contingencies recorded in the period leading 
up to July 2 016, the Federal Government announced the introduction of more than 
150 measures to prevent and control air pollution , including an Emergency Mexican Official 
Standard to control volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in service stations selling gasoline 
to the public.  
In the Metropolitan Area of the Valley of Mexico, there are currently 1,000 registered 
service stations sellin g gasoline to the public that are equipped with vapour recovery 
systems to prevent fugitive  emissions of VOCs and  the formation of ground -level ozone . 
These systems may, however, be obsolete and not function correctly, and it is therefore 
necessary to introduce  a standard that regulates the test methods and parameters for their 
operation, maintenance and efficacy.  Other factors include the high risk to human health 
and the conservation of ecosystems.  
8. Relevant documents:  
 3.1. CARB CP -201, Certification P rocedure for Vapor Recovery Systems at Gasoline 
Dispensing Facilities, California Air Resources Board, 2 3 April 2 015. 
 3.2. CARB TP -201.1E, Leak Rate and Cracking Pressure of Pressure/Vacuum Vent 
Valves , California Air Resources Board , 8 October 2 003. 
 3.3. CARB TP -201.2, Efficiency and Emission Factor for Phase II Systems, California 
Air Resources Board , 2 May 2 008. 
 3.4. CARB TP -201.2, Figures , California Air Resources Board , 8 October 2 003. 
 3.5. CARB TP -201.2E, Gasoline Liquid Retention in Nozzles and Hoses , California Air 
Resources Board , 1 February 2 001. 
 3.6. CARB TP -201.2F, Pressure -Related Fugitive Emissions , California Air Resources 
Board , 8 October 2 003. 
 3.7. CARB TP -201.2H, Determination of Hazardous Air Pollutants from Vapor 
Recovery Processors , California Air Resources Board , 1 February 2 001. 
 3.8. CARB TP -201.3, Determination of 2 Inch WC Static Pressure Performance of 
Vapor Recovery Systems of Dispensing Facilities , California Air Resources Board , 
17 March 1 999. 
 3.9. CARB TP -201.3A, Determination of  5 Inch WC Static Pressure Performance of 
Vapor Recovery Systems of Dispensing Facilities , California Air Resources Board , 
12 April 1 996. 
 3.10. CARB TP -201.3C, Determination of Piping Connections to Underground 
Gasoline Storage Tanks (Tie -Tank Test) , California Air Resources Board , 
17 March  1999. 
 3.11. CARB TP -201.4, Dynamic Back Pressure, California Air Resources Board , 
3 July 2002. 
 3.12. CARB TP -201.5, Air to Liquid Volume , California Air Resources Board , 
1 February 2 001. 
 3.13. CARB TP -204.3, Determinatio n of Leaks, California Air Resources Board , 
17 March 1 999. 
 3.14. CARB TP -201.2B, Flow and Pressure Measurement of Vapor Recovery 
Equipment , California Air Resources Board , 8 October 2 003. 
 3.15. NMX-AA-009-1993-SCFI, Contaminación atmosférica - Fuentes fija s - 
Determinación de flujo de gases en un conducto por medio de tubo pitot (Mexican 
Standard NMX -AA-009-1993-SCFI, Air pollution - Stationary sources - Determination G/TBT/N/MEX/332  
- 3 - 
  of the gas flow in a pipe, using a pitot tube).  
 3.16. US EPA Method 2, Determination of St ack Gas Velocity a nd Volumetric Flow 
Rate (Type S Pitot Tube ), US Environmental Protection Agency , February 2 000. 
 3.17. US EPA Method 2A, Di rect Measurement of Gas Volume t hrough Pipes and 
Small Ducts, US Environmental Protection Agency, February 2 000. 
 3.18. US EPA Method 2B, Determination of Exhaust Gas Volume Flow Rate From 
Gasoline Vapor Incinerators , US Environmental Protection Agency, February 2 000. 
 3.19. US EPA Method 3A, Determination of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide 
Concentrations in Emissions from Stat ionary Sources (Instrumental Analyzer 
Procedure), US Environmental Protection Agency, 1 1 June 2 008. 
 3.20. US EPA Method 6C, Determination of Sulfur Dioxide Emissions from Stationary 
Sources (Instrumental Analyzer Procedure), US Environmental Protection Age ncy, 
11 June 2 008. 
 3.21. US EPA Method 7E, Determinatio n of Nitrogen Oxides Emissions f rom 
Stationary Sources (Instrumental Analyzer Procedure) , US Environmental Protection 
Agency, 6 February 2 009. 
 3.22. US EPA Method 10, Determination of Carbon Monoxide E missions from 
Stationary Sources, US Environmental Protection Agency, 1 4 August 2 006. 
 3.23. US EPA Method 21, Determination of Volatile Organic Compound Leaks, US 
Environmental Protection Agency, February 2 000. 
 3.24. US EPA Method 25A, Determination of Tot al Gaseous Organic Concentration 
Using a Flame Ionization Analyzer, US Environmental Protection Agency, 
February  2000. 
 3.25. US EPA Method 25B, Determination of Total Gaseous Organic Concentration 
Using a Nondispersive Infrared Analyzer, US Environmental P rotection Agency, 
February 2 000. 
9. Proposed date of adoption : This Emergency Mexican Official Standard will enter into 
force the day after its publication in the Diario Oficial de la Federación  (Official Journal) and 
will remain in force for a period of six months, in accordance with Article 48, paragraph 1, 
of the Federal Law on Metrology and Standardization.  
Proposed date of entry into force : This Emergency Mexican Official Standard will enter 
into force the day after its publication in the Diario Ofici al de la Federación  (Official 
Journal) and will remain in force for a period of six months, in accordance with Article 48, 
paragraph 1, of the Federal Law on Metrology and Standardization.  
10. Final date for comments : - 
11. Texts available from : National  enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:  
Secretaría de Economía  
Subsecretaría de Competitividad y Normatividad  
Dirección General de Normas  
Tel.: (+52) 55 5729 9100, Ext. 43244  
Fax: (+52) 55 5520 9715  
Email: normasomc@economia.gob.mx  and/or sofia.pacheco@economia.gob.mx  
Website: http://www.economia.gob.mx/comunidad -negocios/normalizacion/catalogo -
mexicano -de-normas  
Available online at: 
https://members. wto.org/crnattachments/2016/TBT/MEX/16_4735_00_s.pdf