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# OAR Box 1142 Prepped by Ollie Stewart



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# 6 ) IV-F- 4 Docket Number: 

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# \V-F-H '
TESTIMON

Y O F HAROL D GARABEDIA

N ONBEHAL F O F TH E STAT E AN

DTERRITORIAL AI R POLLUTIO NPROGRA

M ADMINISTRATOR S AND TH E ASSOCIATIONO F LOCAL AI R POLLUTIO NCONTRO L OFFICIAL S BEFOR E TH E __——— - r ENVIRONMENTA L PROTECTIO N ACEHCPtj;—7f"^ R\\ ^\ Yc \r\\\ 

### REGARDIN G . \U \ 1|JSJ^"^'"" " "M:' \ ONBOARD CONTROL S \\ b < V 

### Wi i 0CT-2I9 9 1 

### •:'•< } Septembe r 26 , 199 1 | l J | j >
Goo d morning
. M

yname l s Harol d Garabedia n an d I a mth e Deput yDirecto r o f th e Ai r Pollutio n Contro l Divisio n o f the Stat e o f Vermont . I appea r hea r toda yo n behal f o f th e Stat e an d Territoria l Ai r Pollutio n Progra mAdministrator s (STAPPA ) and the Associatio n o f Loca l Ai r Pollutio n Contro l Official s (ALAPCO) , wh o appreciat e thi s opportunit yt o offe r testimon y'o n the Environmenta l Protectio n Agency' s (EPA's ) responsibilitie s t o publis hregulation s requiring automobil e manufacturer s t o instal l onboar d refueling control s o n newmoto r vehicle s i n orde r t o captur e gasolin e vapors . Attache d t o raywritte n statemen t i s a copyo f a STAPPA/ALAPC O positio n calling fo r th e promulgatio n o f onboar d regulations ; thi s resolutio n wa s adopte d b yth e association s a t thei r Fal l Membershi p Meeting hel d earlie r thi s week .

STAPPAand ALAPC O ar e th e tw o nationa l association s representin g ai r pollutio n contro l agencie s i n th e 5 4 state s an d territorie s and ove r 20 0 majo r metropolita n area s acros s the country . Unde r th e provision s o f th e Clea n Ai r Act , th e member s o f STAPPAan

d ALAPC O hol d primaryresponsibilit yfo r ensuring healthfu l ai r qualit yfo r ou r citizens
.P. 3

Our messag e toda

yi s simpl e - - w e strongl yurg e EP At o fulfil l it s statutoryobligation s unde r th e Clean Ai r Ac t b y promulgating regulation s requiring onboar d control s b yNovembe r 15 , 1991 . W e mak e thi s statemen t fo r severa l reasons .
First , th e la

wi s clea r an

d nondiscretionary- - EP Amus t issu e regulation s withi n on e year . Sectio n 202(a)(6 ) o f th e ac t state s tha t "withi n on e yea r afte r th e dat e o f th e enactmen t o f th e Clea n Ai r Ac t Amendment s o f 1990 , th e Administrato r sbaJJL , afte r consultatio n wit hth e Secretaryo f Transportatio n regarding th e safet yo f vehicle-base d ('onboard' ) system s fo r th e contro l
o f refueling emissions , promulgat e standard s unde r thi s section.... " (emphasi s added) . , Th e ac t doe s no t provid e fo r extension s t o thi s deadline , no r doe s i t requir e th e Departmen t o f Transportatio n t o concu r wit hEPA' s regulations
. I t mandate s tha t EP Aconsul t wit hth e Departmen t o £ Transportatio n (DOT ) an d the n issu e regulation s withi n on e year . I n tha t EPAha s complete d It s consultatio n wit hDOT , th e agenc ymus t no wissu e it s regulations
. Th e la wcoul d no t b e mor e explicit
.
Th e Unite d State s Genera l Accounting Offic e (GAO ) ha s als o conclude d tha t EPAshoul d "g o forwar d wit hth e onboar d regulatio n b yNovembe r 15 , 1991 , a s require d b yth e Clea n Ai r Ac t Amendment s o f 1990.... " ("Air Pollutio n - - Ne wApproac hNeede d t o Resolv e Safet yIssu e fo r Vapo r RecoverySystems, " Jun e 1991. ) GAO als o recommend s tha t EPAan d DO T develo p a n "actio n plan.t o perfor ma safet yevaluatio n o f manufacturers ' onboar d system s t o identif y an d correc t an

ysafet ydefect s o r flaw s wel l i n advanc e o f th e 199 6 mode l yea r s o tha n a n orderl yphase-i n occurs. "P. 4

Second , i t i s importan t tha t EP Aissu e regulation s fo r onboar d vapo r recoveryo n time give n th e significan t healt han d environmenta l benefit s associate d wit hthes e controls . Today , ove r 9 0 area s excee d th e federa l health-base d standar d fo r ozone . Moto r vehicle s ar e th e mos t dominan t sourc e o f ozon e precursors , including volatil e organi c compound s (VOCs) , contributing ove r 4 0 percen t o f VOC s i n mos t majo r metropolita n areas . Refueling emission s accoun t fo r a relativel ylarg e portio n o f thes e emissions , representing 2 t o 3 percen t o f th e tota l VO C inventory
. I n addition , EP Aha s estimate d tha t moto r vehicles , including refueling operations , contribut e t o ove r one-hal f o f th e 2,70 0 ai r toxic-relate d cancer s tha t resul t annually .

T o addres s refueling emissions , STAPPAan d ALAPC O have , fo r a numbe r o f years , advocate d th e join t implementatio n o f tw o contro l measure s whic hcomplemen t on e another . Th e first , Stag e I I Vapo r Recovery , i s a short-ter mcontro l strateg

ytha t ha s alread ybee n prove n t o effectivel yreduc e VO C emission s an d exposur e t o toxi c ai r pollutio n an d wil l assis t al l ozon e

. nonattainmen t area s i n achieving th e Nationa l Ambien t Ai r Oualit y Standard . Th e second , onboar d controls , represent s a n excellen t companio n strategytha t wil l achiev e long-ter mVO C and ai r toxi c reduction s i n bot hattainmen t an d nonattainmen t area s acros s th e country . Recen t EPAestimate s indicat e tha t implementatio n o f onboar d control s wil l decreas e refueling emission s nationwide , wit hth e exceptio n o f California , b yapproximatel y280,00 0 tons .P. 5

Stat e an

d loca l ai r qualit yagencie s wil l necessaril yrel y upo n onboar d control s t o mee t certai n federall ymandate d obligation s unde r th e Clea n Ai r Act . Fo r instance , th e reduction s achieve d through th e us e o f onboar d control s wil l hel p area s attai n an

d maintai n th e Nationa l Ambien t Ai r Qualit y Standar d fo r ozone . I n addition , agencie s wil l nee d thes e onboar d control s t o mee t thei r annua l 3-percen t VO C reductio n requirement , a mandat e tha t wil l becom e increasingl ydifficul t t o achiev e i n futur e years . I f onboar d regulation s ar e no t promulgated , man

yagencie s coul d eventuall yfai l t o mee t thes e requirement s and b e subjec t t o federa l sanction s unde r th e Clea n Ai r Act , including th e mandatorywithholding o f federa l highway fund s an

d substantia l ai r offset s fo r constructing
. new facilities
. Additionally , onboar d canister s wil l yiel d significan t reduction s i n emission s o f ai r toxics
. Further , give n th e nationa l scop e o f th e onboar d program , associate d ai r qualit ybenefit s wil l occu r no t onl yi n ozon e nonattainmen t area s --a s i s th e cas e wit hStag e I I Vapo r Recovery- - bu t als o i n attainmen t areas . Finally , I woul dlik e t o conclud e wit h a commen t abou t th e allege d safety

consequence s o f onboar d canisters
. A s I hav e alread ymentioned , th e Clea n Ai r Ac t require s EPAt o consul t withi n on e yea r wit hDO T (the Nationa l HighwayTraffi c Safet y Administrato r —NHTSA ) o n th e safet yo f refueling canisters
. DO T concurrence , however , i s no t require d unde r th e act .P. 6

Consultatio n wit hNHTS Aha s bee n complete d an d the conclusion s o f th e stud yar e revealing
. NHTS Adi d no t conclud e tha t refueling canister s ar e unsaf e but , rather , tha t i t woul d b e reasonabl e fo r EP At o conclud e tha t the canister s presen t "unreasonable " safet yrisks
. Whil e STAPPAan d ALAPC O ar e no t expert s o n the issu e o f safety , w e d o not e tha t NHTSA' s conclusion s seemextremel yambiguous
. Moreover , othe r independen t safet ystudie s tha t hav e bee n publishe d i n recen t year s actuall ydemonstrat e improve d safet yo f onboar d controls .

I n 1988 , th e Battell e Institut e conducte d a stud yfo r EP

Ao n refueling caniste r safet yan d foun d tha t mos t o f th e risk s tha t coul d possibl yb e associate d wit honboar d refueling canister s wer e remot e o r improbable
. Battell e als o conclude d tha t ther e wer e fewsafet ydifference s among an yo f th e system s theystudie d
an d tha t car s wit hrefueling canister s wer e likel yt o b e safe r tha n th e othe r car s i n th e study .
Als o i n 1988 , th e Cente r fo r Aut o Safet ypublishe d a stud y concluding tha t "i f anything , th e EPAonboar d packag e o f fue l volatilit yreduction s and...[refueling canisters ] wil l reduc e th e ris k o f fire s i n automobiles. "

I n summary , STAPPAand ALAPC O strongl ybeliev e tha t give n th e healt hand environmenta l benefits , technologica l availability , cos t effectivenes s an d safet yo f onboar d controls , regulation s requiring thes e control s mus t b e promulgated .P. 7

Moreover , give n th e clea r statutorymandat e - - requiring onl y consultatio n with , no t th e concurrenc e of , DO T - - EPA' s regulatoryactio n mus t tak e plac e b yNovembe r 15 , 1991 .

O n behal f o f STAPPAan d ALAPCO , I than k yo u fo r thi s opportunit yt o testif yan d offe r t o yo u th e assistanc e an d cooperatio n o f th e association s a s yo u wor k t o addres s thi s importan t issue
.P. 8

POSITIONO F TH E STAT E AND TERRITORIAL AI R POLLUTIONPROGRA M ADMINISTRATOR S AN D TH E ASSOCIATIONO F LOCAL AI R POLLUTIO NCONTRO L OFFICIAL S O N ONBOAR D VAPO R RECOVER Y

WHEREAS , evaporativ e emission s fro mth e refueling o f moto r vehicle s contribut e t o ozon e nonattainmen t an d toxi c ai r pollution ; WHEREAS , onboar d vapo r recoveryrepresent s a practical , cost-effectiv e an

d easil yenforce d mean s o f achieving long

ter mreduction s i n evaporativ e refuelin g emissions ; WHEREAS , i f implemented , onboar d vapo r recoverywoul d addres s refueling emission s nationwide ; WHEREAS , sinc e 1985 , th e Stat e an d Territoria l Ai r Pollutio n Progra

mAdministrator s (STAPPA ) an d th e Associatio n o f Loca l Ai r Pollutio n Contro l Official s (ALAPCO ) hav e urge d th e U.S . Environmenta l Protectio n Agenc y(EPA ) an d th e U.S . Congres s t o adop t an d implemen t requirement s fo r onboar d vapo r recovery ; -..-., . WHEREAS , during congressiona l reauthorizatio n o f th e Clea n Ai r Act , EP

Aindicate d tha t onboar d control s coul d b e simpl e i n desig n an d woul d no t represen t a dange r t o publi c safety ; an d WHEREAS , i n enacting th e Clea n Ai r Ac t Amendment s o f 1990 , th e U.S . Congres s acknowledge d th e merit s o f onboar d vapo r recoveryb

yrequiring i n Sectio n 20 2 o f th e amendment s tha t "withi n 1 yea r o f th e dat e o f enactmen t o f th e Clea n Ai r Ac t Amendment s o f 1990 , th e Administrato r shall , afte r consultatio n wit hth e Secretaryo f Transportatio n regarding th e safet yo f vehicle-base d ('onboard' ) system s fo r th e contro l o f vehicl e refueling emissions , promulgat e standard s unde r thi s sectio n requiring tha t ne wlight-dut yvehicle s manufacture d beginning i n th e fourt hmode l yea r afte r th e mode l yea r i n whic hth e standard s ar e promulgate d an d thereafte r shal l b e equippe d wit hsuc h systems; " NOW , THEREFORE , B E I T RESOLVED , tha t STAPPAan d ALAPC O cal l upo n EPAt o fulfil l it s statutoryobligatio n unde r th e Clea n Ai r Ac t b

ypromulgating b

yNovembe r 15 , 199 1 regulation s requirin g onboar d vapo r recovery . Adopted : Septembe r 24 , 199 1