Earlier this year EPA and the State of Arizona worked together to bring federal reformulated gasoline to the Phoenix area to reduce summertime ozone levels. On September 15, to operate the CBG program as a substitute for the federal RFG program, the State submitted a letter to Administrator Browner, requesting to opt out of the federal reformulated program, contingent upon EPA approval of the CBG fuel program. Under the state program, by June 1998, gasoline sold in Phoenix must meet either EPA's phase I reformulated gasoline standards or California's cleaner burning gasoline standards, an even less polluting blend that has been in use in California since March, 1996. With billions of gallons already serving California motorists, no performance problems have been reported. The new gasoline program is one of many measures developed by the state and local community to clean the air in Phoenix.
Motor vehicles are the single largest source of air pollution in the Valley.
To address the region's air quality problems, in 1996 the State convened a task force of local government, industry, and environmental representatives to seek out strategies to clean the air. The task force concluded that cleaner burning gasoline is the single most effective tool to improve air quality in Phoenix. Below are copies of EPA's Fact Sheet on the finding, the proposed and final rulemakings, and links to additional sites for further information. The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on November 20, 1997. EPA received four comment letters in support of the action.