. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/USA/182 
31 March 2006 
 (06-1518) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   UNITED STATES  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   Environmental Protection Agency  (EPA)  (188) 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:         
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 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):   Gasoline, passenger 
vehicles, and portable gasoline containers (HS:  Chapter 2710, 8703 ) (ICS:  43, 75).   
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Control of Hazardous 
Air Pollutants From Mobile Sources  (140 pages, English). 
6. Description of content:   Today EPA is proposing controls on gasoline, passenger vehicles, 
and portable gasoline containers (gas cans) th at would significantly reduce emissions of 
benzene and other hazardous air pollutants ("mobile source air toxics"). Benzene is a known 
human carcinogen, and mobile sources are responsible for the majority of benzene 
emissions. The other mobile source air toxics are known or suspected to cause cancer or 
other serious health effects.  We are proposing to limit the benzene content of gasoline to an annual average of 0.62% by volume, beginni ng in 2011. We are also proposing to limit 
exhaust emissions of hydrocarbons from passenge r vehicles when they are operated at cold 
temperatures. This standard would be phased in from 2010 to 2015.  For passenger vehicles 
we also propose evaporative emissions standards that are equivalent to those in California. 
Finally, we are proposing a hydrocarbon emissi ons standard for gas cans beginning in 2009, 
which would reduce evaporation and spillage of gasoline from these containers.  These 
controls would significantly reduce emissions of  benzene and other mobile source air toxics 
such as 1,3-butadiene, formaldehyde, acetal dehyde, acrolein, and naphthalene. This 
proposal would result in additional substantial benefits to public health and welfare by 
significantly reducing emissions of particulate matter from passenger vehicles. 
We project annual nationwide benzene reducti ons of 35,000 tons in  2015, increasing to 
65,000 tons by 2030. Total reductions in mobile  source air toxics would be 147,000 tons in 
2015 and over 350,000 tons in 2030. Passe nger vehicles in 2030 would emit 45% less 
benzene. Gas cans meeting the new standa rds would emit almost 80% less benzene. 
Gasoline would have 37% less benzene overall. We estimate that these reductions would 
have an average cost of less than 1 cent per gallon of gasoline and less than $1 per vehicle. 
The average cost for gas cans would be less than $2 per can. The reduced evaporation from 
gas cans would result in significant fuel sav ings, which would more than offset the 
increased cost for the gas can. G/TBT/N/USA/182 
Page 2  
 
  7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
Protection of human health 
8. Relevant documents:   71 Federal Register (FR) 15803,  29 March 2006; Title 40 Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 59, 80, 85 a nd 86. Will appear in the Federal Register 
when adopted. 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:   }To be determined 
10. Final date for comments:   30 May 2006 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:   
Full Texts are Now Available on the Internet at URLs: 
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/24 22/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/06-
2315.htm 
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/24 22/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/
06-2315.pdf