RULE 215 TRANSFER OF GASOLINE INTO TANK TRUCKS, TRAILERS 

AND RAILROAD TANK CARS AT LOADING FACILITIES 

 Adopted 6-19-79 

(Amended 9-25-90, 11-03-94, 6-19-97) 

 CONTENTS 

100 GENERAL

101 PURPOSE 

102 APPLICABILITY 

200 DEFINITIONS

201 BULK PLANT 

202 BULK TERMINAL 

203 CAPACITY 

204 EXEMPT COMPOUNDS 

205 GASOLINE 

206 GASOLINE VAPORS 

207 LEAK FREE 

208 ORGANIC LIQUID 

209 REID VAPOR PRESSURE 

210 SWITCH LOADING 

211 VAPOR TIGHT 

212 VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS 

300 STANDARDS

301 TRANSFER PROVISIONS 

302 OTHER OPERATING REQUIREMENTS

400 ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

401 COMPLIANCE SCHEDULE

500 MONITORING AND RECORDS

501 RECORDKEEPING 

502 TEST METHODS 

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Rules and Regulations 215 - 2 Placer County APCD 
100 GENERAL

101 PURPOSE: To limit the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) during gasoline

transfer operations at bulk plants and bulk terminals.

102 APPLICABILITY:

102.1 Geographic: This provisions of this rule apply to all of Placer County. 

102.2 Business Function: This rule applies to any bulk plant or bulk terminal where

gasoline is loaded into a truck, trailer or railroad tank car, and to any person who 

owns, operates or is employed at such facility. 

200 DEFINITIONS

201 BULK PLANT: A gasoline distribution facility which receives gasoline exclusively by tank 

truck from a refinery or bulk terminal and has a throughput less than or equal to 20,000 

gallons per day or 5,000,000 gallons per year. 

202 BULK TERMINAL: A gasoline distribution facility which receives gasoline from a refinery

by pipeline, ship, or barge and has a throughput greater than 20,000 gallons per day or 

5,000,000 gallons per year. 

203 CAPACITY: The maximum volumetric quantity of liquid that may be stored in a tank. 

204 EXEMPT COMPOUNDS: Exempt compounds are as defined in Rule 102, Definitions.

205 GASOLINE: Any organic liquid (including petroleum distillates and methanol) having a

Reid Vapor Pressure of 4.0 pounds or greater and used as a motor vehicle fuel, or any 

fuel which is commonly or commercially known or sold as gasoline. 

206 GASOLINE VAPORS: The displaced vapors including any entrained liquid gasoline. 

207 LEAK FREE: Any liquid leak of less than three drops per minute excluding losses which

occur upon disconnecting transfer fittings, provided such disconnect losses do not 

exceed 10 milliliters (0.34 fluid ounces) per disconnect, averaged over three contiguous 

disconnects. 

208 ORGANIC LIQUID: Any volatile organic compound which contains hydrogen

and which would exist as a liquid at actual conditions of use or storage. 

209 REID VAPOR PRESSURE: The absolute vapor pressure of volatile crude oil and volatile

non-viscous petroleum liquids, except liquefied petroleum gases, and determined by

ASTM-323-58. 

210 SWITCH LOADING: The transfer of organic liquids with a Reid Vapor Pressure of less 

than 4.0 lbs into a delivery vessel where the previous load was gasoline. 

211 VAPOR TIGHT: A condition when the concentration of total hydrocarbons does not

exceed 10,000 ppm (expressed as methane) above background, as determined by EPA 

Reference Method 21. Background shall be defined as the ambient concentration of 

organic compounds determined at least three (3) meters upwind of the potential source

and not influenced by any specific emissions source.

212 VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS: Compounds which contain at least one

atom of carbon, except for the Exempt Compounds. 

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Placer County APCD 215 - 3 Rules and Regulations
300 STANDARDS

301 TRANSFER PROVISIONS:

301.1 Vapor Recovery System Certification: A person shall not load gasoline into any 

tank truck, trailer, or railroad tank car from any bulk plant or bulk terminal, unless 

the loading device or equipment is equipped with a California Air Resources 

Board certified vapor recovery and disposal system. 

301.2 Loading Procedures: Loading shall be accomplished in such a manner that all

displaced vapor and air will be vented only to the vapor recovery system. 

Measures shall be taken to ensure complete drainage before the loading device

is disconnected and the loading device shall be maintained in a vapor tight and 

leak free condition when not in use. 

301.3 Bulk Plants: A person shall not transfer or permit the transfer of gasoline into any 

tank truck, trailer, or railroad tank car unless the emission of gasoline vapors and

gases to the atmosphere does not exceed 0.6 pounds of Volatile Organic 

Compounds (VOC) per one thousand (1,000) gallons of gasoline transferred as 

determined by a method specified in Section 502.1. 

301.4 Bulk Terminals: A person shall not transfer or permit the transfer of gasoline into

any tank, truck, trailer, or railroad tank car unless the emission of gasoline vapors 

and gases to the atmosphere does not exceed 0.08 pounds of Volatile Organic

Compounds (VOC) per one thousand (1,000) gallons of gasoline transferred as 

determined by the method specified in Section 502.2.

302 OTHER OPERATING REQUIREMENTS:

302.1 The loading facility vapor recovery system shall not create a back-pressure in

excess of the pressure limits of the delivery vessel certification leak test (18

inches of water gauge). 

302.2 All vapor recovery equipment and gasoline loading equipment shall be 

maintained in good working order and shall be leak free and vapor tight. 

302.3 Switch loading shall be subject to Sections 301.3 and 301.4 of this rule. 

302.4 Transfer equipment shall be configured to require that the gasoline delivery

vessel be bottom loaded. 

302.5 In no instance shall the gasoline loading operations exceed the capacity of the

vapor processing unit. 

400 ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

401 COMPLIANCE SCHEDULE:

401.1 By November 3, 1995, any person subject to this rule shall submit an application

for Authority to Construct for any modifications required to achieve compliance

with the requirements of this rule. 

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Rules and Regulations 215 - 4 Placer County APCD 
401.2 By November 3, 1996, any person subject to this rule shall demonstrate final 

compliance with all applicable standards and requirements of this rule. 

Compliance with Section 301 shall constitute compliance with Section 401 unless 

it is determined that the equipment does not comply with section 301.3 and

301.4. 

500.MONITORING AND RECORDS

501 RECORDKEEPING:

501.1 The owner or operator of any facility subject to the provisions of this rule shall 

prepare a daily log of the throughput and a summary of the throughput for the 

calendar year to date of the liquid compounds subject to the provisions of this 

rule. Such records shall be retained at the facility for at least 2 years, and shall

be retained for at least 5 years for sources subject to the requirements of Rule

507, Federal Operating Permit Program, and shall be made available to the Air 

Pollution Control Officer upon request. 

501.2 Records shall include the number of petroleum storage tanks serviced and their 

respective capacities in gallons. 

501.3 In addition to the recordkeeping requirements specified herein, all provisions of

Rule 410, Recordkeeping for Organic Compound Emissions, shall apply.

502 TEST METHODS: Reference test methods for compliance testing shall be the following, 

as applicable:

502.1 California Air Resources Board Test Method TP 202.1, “Determination of

Emission Factors of Vapor Recovery Systems at Gasoline Bulk Plants”. 

502.2 California Air Resources Board Test Method TP 203.1, “Determination of

Emission Factors of Vapor Recovery Systems at Gasoline Terminals”. 

502.3 EPA Reference Method 21 shall be used to test for vapor tight condition or liquid

leaks. 

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