# OAR Box 1846

Prepped by Ollie Stewart



### Document

Number: 

# 14 ) ll-C- 2

Docket Number: 

# A-90-07

Printed 11/18/20087:30:14 AM Sheet 14 of 93 P. 1P. 2 

## /4-90-O 7 

# TL-C-Z

| r*mft

1 UNITE D STATE S ENVIRONMENTA L PROTECTIO N AGENC Y %.^---^-^J

WASHINGTON , D.C

. 2046 0


### OC T

### I 7 198 9

OFFIC E O P PESTICIDE S AN O TOXI C SUBSTANCE S 

## fe fi U L t Kare n E . Rasmussen Director , Governmenta l & Industr y Affair s i V Cali f orni a Trucking Associatio nJ W 2 ^ ^ . 125 1 Beaco

n Boulevard J < Wes t Sacramento , Californi a 9569 1 •«> , Dear Ms . Rasmussen :
O n Jul y 19 , 1989 , the Environmenta l ProtectionAgency (EPA ) receive d a citizen s petitio nunde r sectio

n2 1 o f th e Toxi c Substance s Contro l Ac t (TSCA) , whichyou submitte d onbehal f o f you r organizatio

n an d fiv e othe r petitioners . I nth e petition yo u requeste

d tha t EP

A promulgat e a rul e unde r section4 o f TSC A t o requir e testin

g o f methano l fuel s b y thei r manufacturer s and/or processors . Thes e fuel s includ e methano l an

d blend s o f methano l an

d gasoline , i nparticula r th e blen d composed , o f 85 % methano l an

d 15 % gasoline referre d t o a s "MSS. " You r petition identifie

d a numbe r o f area s wher e you believe furthe r research i s necessary .
A s you reflec t i n you r petition , EP A ha s alread

y been reviewin

g the nee

d t o conduc t furthe r researc honth e us e o f methano l fuel s an

d ha s worked wit ha numbe r o f differen t organizations . EPA' s revie w o f methano l fuel s ha s bee npar t o f a mor e extensiv

e effor t i n whichEP A ha s bee nexamining th e dat a need s for al l alternativ e fuel s a s wel l a s thos e fo r existin g fuels .
I nrespons e t o you

r petitio

n an d i nconnectionwit hEPA' s ongoin g revie w o f testin

g need s fo

r moto r vehicl e fuels , I a m please d t o infor

m yo u tha t EP

A wil l shortl y

commenc e a proceedin g unde r the join t authority o f sectio

n 21 1 o f th e Clea nAi r Ac t (CAA ) an d section 4 o f TSC

A t o determine whic htesting i s necessar

y concernin

g healt han

d environmenta l effect s o f al l motor vehicl e fuels—includin g thos e currentl y i nuse , sucha s gasolin e an d diesel , an

d thos e undergoin

g developmen t a s alternativ

e fuels , sucha s methanol ; ethanol , compressed natura l gas , an d propane . EP

A believe s tha t suc hactio ni s pruden t a t thi s time , althoug

hthi s shoul d no t b e misunderstoo d t o indicat e tha t EP A ha s specia l concern s for an y particula r moto r vehicl e fue l i n compariso

n t o others .P. 3

EPA' s proceeding wil l includ e consideratio

n o f ongoin

g an d planne d researc hb

y EPA' s Offic e o f Researc han d Development , a s wel l a s other s suc ha s th e Healt hEffect s Institute . EP A believe s tha t it s revie w o f moto r vehicl e fuel s testin g need s mus t be comprehensive an d mus t examine whic hmechanism s ar e mos t appropriat e t o obtai n needed tes t data . Accordingly , durin g thi s proceeding , EPA

wil l conside r th e us e o f sectio n 21 1 o f the CAA , whic hspecificall y

addresse s moto r vehicl e fuel s an d give s EP

A authorit

y t o requir e registration o f fuel s an d fue l additive s an d t o requir e testin g o f th e fuel s b y the registrants , th e us e o f sectio n 4 o f TSCA , an

d th e us e o f alternative s suc ha s voluntar

y industr y testing an

d governmen t funde

d research . An

y resultin

g testin g progra

m may includ e us e o f som e o r al l o f thes e mechanisms .
I hop e you r organization an d th e othe r fiv

e petitioner s wil l avai l themselve s o f th e opportunity t o participat e i nthi s proceedin

g an d hel p EP

A determine wha t i s the bes t testin g progra m for al l moto r vehicl e fuels . 

### Sincerely , 

# <jfou ^pJaJ^Akrbr
Lind a J.^Fishe r Assistan t Administrato r