The reduced pollution will be equivalent to removing 3.5 million vehicles virtually overnight from California's roads and highways. It also will reduce human cancer risk from exposure to toxics in gasoline by 30 to 40 percent.
Motorists can use the gasoline in exactly the same way as before.
The introduction of cleaner-burning gasoline culminates five years of work by the California Air Resources Board and the state's oil refiners. State scientists worked with oil refiners and automakers in developing its specifications. Individual oil companies can still determine the specific formulation of their products as long as they meet the Air Resources Board's requirements. Cleaner-burning gasoline is a major step toward the goal of eliminiating unhealthy air pollution in California. California still has a serious air pollution problem, despite the dramatic improvement in air quality during the past 20 years.