Regulatory Announcement

EPA Proposes to Approve Request 

from Louisiana to Relax the Federal 

Summer Gasoline Volatility Standard 

in Several Parishes 

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

notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to relax the federal Reid 

Vapor Pressure (RVP) standard applicable to gasoline sold in the 11 

Louisiana parishes of Beauregard, Calcasieu, Jefferson, Lafayette, 

Lafourche, Orleans, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, 

and St. Mary. This action proposes to amend EPA’s regulations to 

relax the RVP standard from 7.8 pounds per square inch (psi) to 9.0 

psi for gasoline sold during the summer ozone season. 

Key Elements of the NPRM 

•	 This rulemaking proposes to relax the volatility requirements for gasoline 

sold in the Louisiana parishes as described above, during the summer ozone 

season which runs from June 1 to September 15 of each year. Specifically, this 

NPRM proposes to amend the federal RVP gasoline standard for 11 Louisiana 

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

•	 This rulemaking is in response to an April 10, 2017 request from Louisiana 

to relax the federal summertime gasoline volatility requirements for the 11 

parishes. Louisiana has also requested that EPA relax summertime gasoline 

volatility requirements for the 5-parish Baton Rouge area, and EPA will 

address that request in a separate rulemaking at a later date. 

•	 Relaxing the volatility requirements for gasoline sold in the 11 Louisiana 

parishes could be beneficial because this action could improve the fungibility 

of gasoline in the Area. If this proposed rulemaking becomes final and effective, the gasoline sold in the 11 parishes can be identical to the fuel sold now 

in most of the rest of Louisiana. For motorists, the change in summertime 

gasoline volatility specifications would be virtually unnoticed. 

Office of Transportation and Air Quality 

EPA-420-F-17-015 

August 2017 
Regulatory Announcement

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 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. 

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. If the 

redesignated area is still covered by a maintenance plan requirement, then it must also submit a 

revised maintenance plan demonstrating continued attainment of the ozone National Ambient 

Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) with the less stringent RVP standard in place. 

The 11 parishes covered by the proposed rule were redesignated to attainment for the 1-hour 

ozone NAAQS and subsequently designated as attainment for the 1997 ozone NAAQS. The 

State was required to submit maintenance plans that applied to the period 2004 through 2014 

for these parishes for the 1997 ozone NAAQS. The State submitted these plans, which were 

approved by EPA. The parishes were designated attainment for the 2008 ozone NAAQS and 

were not required to submit maintenance plans for the 2008 ozone NAAQS. Therefore, the last 

maintenance plans that these parishes were subject to were in place through 2014, after which 

they were no longer subject to a maintenance planning requirement for the ozone NAAQS. 

The State has not recommended any of the 11 parishes for nonattainment designation for the 

2015 ozone NAAQS. 

EPA has determined that because the parishes in question have met all applicable maintenance 

planning requirements under the Act, the proposed RVP change does not trigger a requirement 

for the State to provide a noninterference demonstration under CAA section 110(l), as would 

otherwise be required if the named parishes were still covered by a CAA section 175A or CAA 

section 110(a) maintenance planning requirement or were currently designated as nonattainment for any ozone NAAQS. Continued fleet turnover to newer vehicles and emission reductions from numerous national regulations are expected to continue to reduce emissions of VOCs 

and nitrogen oxides in the future. 

2 
Regulatory Announcement

For More Information 

You can access the rule and related documents on 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 NPRM, please contact: 

Dave Sosnowski 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
 

Office of Transportation and Air Quality
 

2000 Traverwood Drive
 

Ann Arbor, MI 48105
 

734-214-4823
 

E-mail: sosnowski.dave@epa.gov 


Or 

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
 

3