ft EA~United States .,_w~ Environmental Protection ,,. Agency Regulatory Announcement 

EPA’s Approval of a Request from 

Louisiana to Relax the Federal 

Summer Gasoline Volatility Standard 

in the Baton Rouge Area 

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

fnal rule to relax the federal Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) standard 

applicable to gasoline sold in the fve Louisiana parishes of East Baton 

Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Livingston, Ascension, and Iberville (the 

Baton Rouge Area). This fnal action amends EPA’s regulations to 

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

to 9.0 psi for gasoline sold during the summer ozone season. 

EPA is acting on a request made by Louisiana to relax the RVP standard 

applicable to gasoline introduced into commerce during the summer fuel 

season, as described further below. On June 14, 2018, EPA published a 

notice of proposed rulemaking for today’s fnal rule. EPA received three 

comments on its proposal to relax the gasoline RVP standard from 7.8 

psi to 9.0 psi for the Baton Rouge Area. EPA found that these comments 

were either supportive of the proposed change, mischaracterized EPA’s 

proposal (with no adverse consequence), or fell outside the scope of this 

action. EPA is fnalizing the RVP relaxation rulemaking as proposed. 

Key Elements of the Final Rule 

• This fnal rule relaxes the volatility requirements for gasoline sold in the Baton Rouge Area during the summer ozone season, which runs from June 1 to 

September 15 of each year. Specifcally, this fnal rule amends the federal RVP 

gasoline standard for the fve parishes in the Baton Rouge Area from 7.8 psi 

to 9.0 psi as provided at 40 CFR 80.27(a)(2). 

• Starting in 2019, gasoline introduced into commerce in the Baton Rouge 

Area during the summer ozone season will no longer be subject to the federal 

RVP requirement of 7.8 psi and must instead meet the 9.0 psi requirement. 

Offce of Transportation and Air Quality 

EPA-420-F-18-022 

October 2018 
Regulatory Announcement

• This fnal rule is in response to an April 10, 2017 request from Louisiana to relax the 

federal summertime gasoline volatility requirements for 16 parishes, including the fve 

parishes covered by this fnal action. EPA approved Louisiana’s request to relax summertime gasoline volatility requirements for the other 11 parishes in a separate rulemaking 

on December 26, 2017 (82 FR 60886). 

• Finalizing this rule is based on a separate EPA rulemaking that approved a revised CAA 

section 175A maintenance plan for the Baton Rouge Area showing that the relaxation 

of the federal RVP gasoline requirement will not interfere with continued maintenance 

of the 2008 ozone national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) or any other applicable NAAQS, including the 2015 ozone NAAQS. Louisiana submitted the section CAA 

175A maintenance plan revision with a section 110(l) non-interference demonstration 

to EPA on January 30, 2018, and EPA fnalized its approval of the State’s submission 

on May 25, 2018 (83 FR 24226). EPA also notes that on June 4, 2018 the Baton Rouge 

Area was designated as an attainment/unclassifable area for the 2015 ozone NAAQS 

(83 FR 25776). 

• Relaxing the volatility requirements for gasoline sold in the fve Louisiana parishes could 

be benefcial because this action will improve the fungibility of gasoline in the Baton 

Rouge Area by allowing the gasoline sold in the fve parishes to be identical to the 

summertime fuel sold in the rest of Louisiana. For motorists, the change in summertime 

gasoline volatility performance should be virtually unnoticed. 

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. Specifcally, 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. 

To relax the applicable federal RVP standard in an area where the more stringent federal RVP 

of 7.8 psi is required, EPA believes such relaxation is best accomplished if an area is designated 

as (or redesignated to) attainment. If the redesignated area is still covered by a Clean Air Act 

(CAA) section 175A maintenance plan requirement, then it must also submit a revised maintenance plan demonstrating continued attainment of the ozone NAAQS with the less stringent 

RVP standard in place. 

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Regulatory Announcement

For More Information 

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

Air Quality Web site at: 

www.epa.gov/otaq/fuels/gasolinefuels/volatility/index.htm 

For further information on this fnal rule, please contact: 

David Dickinson 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

Offce of Transportation and Air Quality 

1200 Pennsylvania Ave, NW 

Washington, DC 20460 

202-343-9256 

E-mail: dickinson.david@epa.gov 

Or 

Rudy Kapichak 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

Offce 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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