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Origin of the Reformulated Gasoline Program
EPA 420-F-95-001, April 1995
EPA Office of Mobile Sources
- The concept of reformulated gasoline (RFG) was originally generated, developed, and promoted by industry, not the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or other parts of the federal government.
- In late 1980's Arco Petroleum began successfully marketing RFG in California to help reduce emissions from motor vehicles. Their formula, "EC-1," was formulated specifically for older vehicles as a replacement for leaded gasoline. It utilized Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether (MTBE) as an additive. (ARCO chemical was then and is now one of the largest domestic producers of MTBE).
- Other petroleum refiners also began marketing their own gasoline reformulations.
- The Clean Air Act legislation President Bush sent to Congress in 1990 included a number of provisions that would have led to the introduction of alternative (non- petroleum) fuels. The petroleum and oxygenate industries responded to these provisions by offering the RFG program as a substitute for most of the alternative fuel provisions.
- Their argument, which ultimately succeeded, was that significant fleet turnover would need to occur before emission reductions could be realized from alternative fuels. RFG, on the other hand, would be effective immediately in the existing fleet.
- The final Clean Air Act legislation not only set emission performance requirements for RFG, but it also included a mandate for RFG to contain oxygenates.
- Throughout much of 1991, EPA participated in a regulatory negotiation process with the petroleum industry, oxygenate industry, state and local organizations, environmental groups, auto manufacturers, organizations representing the public, and other government agencies to lay out the framework for the RFG rulemaking.
- EPA continued to work with most of these organizations throughout the development of the rulemaking and beyond to ensure it would be a program acceptable to all interests.
- The automobile manufacturers and oil companies voluntarily invested millions of dollars in a joint research program, the "Auto/Oil Air Quality Improvement Research Program," to quantify the emission impacts of changes in the quality of gasoline.
- The results of the Auto/Oil program and numerous other studies conducted by EPA and industry revealed that large emission benefits were indeed possible and cost- effective through RFG. As a result, the emission standards for RFG in the year 2000 go beyond the minimum requirements specified in the Clean Air Act.
- The RFG program was mandated to be implemented only in the nine cities in the country with the worst smog (Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago, Houston, Milwaukee, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Hartford, and New York City).
- In addition, many other areas which also have a history of smog problems were requested to be included in the program by the State Governors. EPA expanded the program to cover these areas.
For More Information:
The Office of Mobile Sources is the national center for research and policy on air pollution from highway and off-highway motor vehicles and equipment. You can write to us at the EPA National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory, 2565 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105. Our phone number is (734) 214-4333.