Regulatory Announcement

EPA’s Approval of a Request from 

Tennessee to Relax the Summer 

Gasoline Volatility Standard for the 

Middle Tennessee Area; and Minor 

Technical Corrections for Federal Reid 

Vapor Pressure Gasoline Volatility 

Standards in Other Areas 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a 

final rule to relax the federal Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) standard applicable to gasoline introduced into commerce in Davidson, 

Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson, and Wilson Counties in Tennessee 

(the “Middle Tennessee Area”). These counties are part of the greater 

Nashville, Tennessee area. This change applies during the summer 

ozone season which runs from June 1 to September 15 of each year. 

This action amends our regulations to relax the summer ozone season RVP gasoline standard for the Middle Tennessee Area from 7.8 

pounds per square inch (psi) to 9.0 psi. 

EPA is acting on a request made by the State of Tennessee to relax the 

federal RVP standard applicable to gasoline introduced into commerce 

during the summer fuel season. As described further below, EPA 

Region 4 conducted a concurrent rulemaking of Tennessee’s SIP revision request and issued its final rule on May 1, 2017 (82 FR 20260). 

On April 12, 2017, EPA published a notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM) for today’s final rule, and the comments received were not 

within the scope of EPA’s rulemaking. EPA is finalizing the RVP 

relaxation rulemaking as proposed. 

Office of Transportation and Air Quality 

EPA-420-F-17-011 

May 2017 
Regulatory Announcement

Key Elements of the Final Rule 

•	 This rulemaking becomes effective upon its publication in the Federal Register. This 

rulemaking relaxes the volatility requirements for gasoline sold in the Middle Tennessee 

Area during the summer ozone season which runs from June 1 to September 15 of each 

year. Specifically, this final rule amends the federal RVP gasoline standard for the Middle 

Tennessee Area from 7.8 psi to 9.0 psi provided at 40 CFR 80.27(a)(2). 

•	 In order to relax the applicable federal RVP standard in an area where the more stringent federal RVP of 7.8 psi is required, an area must be designated as (or redesignated to) 

attainment. In most cases, the area must also submit a maintenance plan demonstrating 

continued attainment of the ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) 

with the less stringent RVP standard in place. 

•	 EPA Region 4 recently conducted a separate rulemaking that approved Tennessee’s SIP 

revision. The SIP revision rulemaking evaluated whether the relaxation of the federal 

RVP gasoline requirement would not interfere with continued maintenance of the 1997 

ozone NAAQS or any other applicable NAAQS, including the 2015 ozone NAAQS. 

Tennessee submitted the SIP revision with the non-interference demonstration to EPA 

on November 21, 2016. EPA proposed the approval of the SIP revision on February 24, 

2017 (82 FR 11519), and no adverse comments were received. EPA finalized its approval 

of the SIP revision on May 1, 2017 (82 FR 20260). On April 12, 2017, EPA published 

an NPRM for today’s action, and the comments received were not within the scope of 

EPA’s rulemaking. 

•	 Relaxing the volatility requirements for gasoline sold in the Middle Tennessee Area 

could be beneficial because this action could improve the fungibility of gasoline in the 

Area. With this final rulemaking, the gasoline sold in the Middle Tennessee Area can be 

identical to the fuel sold now in most of the rest of Tennessee. For motorists, the change 

in summertime gasoline volatility specifications will be virtually unnoticed. 

•	 EPA is also making several minor technical corrections to address clerical errors made in 

prior rulemakings that relaxed the gasoline RVP standard in other areas. 

Background 

In 1987, EPA determined that gasoline nationwide had become increasingly volatile, causing an 

increase in evaporative emissions from gasoline-powered vehicles and equipment. Evaporative 

emissions from gasoline, referred to as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are precursors to 

the formation of tropospheric ozone and contribute to the nation’s ground-level ozone problem. 

Ground-level ozone causes health problems, including damaged lung tissue, reduced lung function, and lung sensitization to other pollutants. 

The most common measure of fuel volatility is RVP. To provide for cleaner air and greater public 

health protection, EPA enforces maximum limits on the RVP of gasoline sold during the summer 

ozone season which runs from June 1 to September 15 of each year. Specifically, EPA’s regulations 

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Regulatory Announcement

 

at 40 CFR 80.27(a)(2) establish maximum RVP standards of 9.0 psi or 7.8 psi depending on the 

state, the month, and the area’s initial ozone designation with respect to the ozone NAAQS 

during the summer ozone season. 

The Middle Tennessee Area has an approved 10-year maintenance plan for the 1997 ozone 

NAAQS and is designated as attainment for the 2008 ozone NAAQS and is currently attaining 

the 2015 ozone NAAQS. As described above, EPA evaluated whether the Middle Tennessee 

Area will continue to attain the ozone NAAQS, and any other applicable NAAQS, if the RVP 

standard is relaxed from 7.8 psi to 9.0 psi during the summer ozone season. On May 1, 2017, 

EPA issued a final rule that approved the revision to the 10-year maintenance plan and determined that the relaxation of the RVP during the summer ozone season would not interfere with 

the attainment of the ozone NAAQS (82 FR 20260). 

For More Information 

You can access the rule and related documents on the EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air 

Quality Web site at: www.epa.gov/otaq/fuels/gasolinefuels/volatility/index.htm 

For further information on this final rule, please contact: 


David Dickinson
 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
 

Office of Transportation and Air Quality
 

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
 

Washington, DC 20460
 

202-343-9256
 

E-mail: dickinson.david@epa.gov
 

Rudy Kapichak 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
 

Office of Transportation and Air Quality
 

2000 Traverwood Drive
 

Ann Arbor, MI 48105
 

734-214-4574
 

E-mail: kapichak.rudolph@epa.gov
 

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