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Regulatory

Announcement

 Printed on Recycled Paper

United States

Environmental Protection

Agency

Air and Radiation EPA420-F-97-044

December 1997

Office of Mobile Sources

The RFG Program

In the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, Congress mandated EPA to

promulgate regulations requiring that gasoline sold in certain areas be

reformulated to reduce vehicle emissions of toxic and ozone-forming

compounds. EPA published rules for the certification and enforcement

of RFG and provisions for conventional gasoline on February 16, 1994

(59 FR 7716).

Based on experience gained since these regulations went into effect,

EPA proposed numerous changes to the regulations on July 11, 1997,

relating to emission standards, emission models, compliance related

requirements and enforcement provisions. The proposed changes

involve both the RFG and conventional gasoline programs.

Modifications to the Standards and

Requirements for Reformulated and

Conventional Gasoline

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is amending the

regulations establishing standards and requirements for reformulated

gasoline (RFG) and conventional gasoline. This final rule will reduce

the compliance burden on regulated parties and associated costs to

the public, yet keep the environmental benefits of the RFG and

conventional gasoline programs.
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Amendments to RFG Program

This rule:

• finalizes certain changes to the RFG and

conventional gasoline regulations relating to use of the Complex Model, which

is required for demonstrating compliance

with the regulations beginning on January 1, 1998;

• eliminates the NOx per-gallon minimum

standards for Complex Model averaged

RFG;

• increases the required number of gasoline quality surveys as a more costeffective way to ensure that each area

covered by the program receives the full

environmental benefits of the NOx

average standards for RFG; and

• modifies the affirmative defenses

against a violation of the fuels regulations for tank truck carriers.

This rule does not finalize all the revisions

that were proposed on July 11, 1997. The

remaining changes will be addressed at a

later date.

Public Health and

Environmental Benefits

RFG protects public health and the environment by reducing harmful vehicle

emissions of ozone-forming compounds

and air toxics. The requirements for

conventional gasoline prohibit refiners and

importers from producing or importing

conventional gasoline that has greater

emissions than the refiner’s or importer’s

1990 gasoline production. Many of the

modifications in this rule are technical in

nature, or provide industry with greater

flexibility to comply with the regulations.

The changes to the regulations will not

compromise the environmental benefits of

the RFG and conventional gasoline programs.

Effect on Industry

For refiners and importers of gasoline, the

final rule will reduce burdens and costs

associated with demonstrating compliance

under the reformulated and conventional

gasoline regulations. In addition, it will

streamline and clarify certain regulatory

requirements and correct certain typographical and other technical errors in the

regulations. This regulation provides a

more appropriate method for tank truck

carriers of motor vehicle fuel to establish a

defense against a violation of the fuels

regulations.

For More Information

For further information on this final rule,

please contact Marilyn Bennett at:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Mobile Sources (6406J)

401 M Street SW

Washington, DC 20460

202-564-8989

Additional documents on the RFG program

are available electronically from the EPA

Internet server at:

http://www.epa.gov/OMSWWW/rfg.htm

or by contacting Russ Banush at:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Mobile Sources

2565 Plymouth Road

Ann Arbor, MI 48105

734-668-4333