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Control of Air Pollution From New Motor Vehicles; Low Sulfur Gasoline Refinery Hardship Applications

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[Federal Register: February 28, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 40)]
[Notices]
[Page 12779-12780]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28fe01-52]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[AMS-FRL-6948-5]


Control of Air Pollution From New Motor Vehicles; Low Sulfur
Gasoline Refinery Hardship Applications

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In December 1999, we promulgated the Tier 2/Gasoline Sulfur
final rule (see 65 FR 6698, February 10, 2000) for more stringent
vehicle emission standards and low sulfur gasoline. This action
included a provision which allows refiners to seek temporary relief
from the regulations based on a showing of unusual circumstances that
impose extreme hardship and significantly affect their ability to
comply by the required date, as well as other factors. This provision
also requires refiners to make best efforts to comply with low sulfur
gasoline requirements. Through this action, we are inviting comment on
the applications and relief requested for three refiners whose
application is under active assessment. The public is invited to
provide comment on this matter.

DATES: Any comment should be provided to the EPA by March 21, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments: Send paper or e-mail comments to the contact
person listed below. If applicable, commenters should specify which
application they are addressing.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tad Wysor, U.S. EPA, National Vehicle
and Fuels Emission Laboratory, Assessment and Standards Division, 2000
Traverwood, Ann Arbor, MI 48105; telephone (734) 214-4332, fax (734)
214-4816, e-mail wysor.tad@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the Tier 2/Gasoline Sulfur final rule, we
established standards to limit the sulfur content of gasoline beginning
in 2004. As part of this rule, we included provisions permitting
refiners to seek temporary relief from these requirements based on a
showing of unusual circumstances that impose extreme hardship and
significantly affect the refiner's ability to comply by the required
date, as well as other factors. This provision also requires the
refiners to make best efforts to comply with the low sulfur gasoline
requirements (see 40 CFR 80.270). At this time, we are actively
considering applications from three refiners. These applicants are
identified below with their refinery's total crude oil capacity in
barrels per calendar day and a general description of the relief they
are seeking:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                           Crude
                 Refinery                            Location             capacity          Relief sought
                                                                          (bped)*
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
United Refining Company..................  Warren, PA.................       65,000  Same as small refiner
                                                                                      program.
Wyoming Refining.........................  Newcastle, WY..............        9,995  150 ppm avg/300 ppm cap for
                                                                                      2004-2007.
National Cooperative Refinery Assoc.       McPherson, KS..............       77,400  Interim sulfur reductions
 (NCRA).                                                                              with full compliance in
                                                                                      June 2006.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Based on data from the Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration Petroleum Supply Annual 1999,
  Vol. 1 as of January 1, 2000.

[[Page 12780]]

    We are now in the process of reviewing and evaluating these
hardship applications according to the provisions of 40 CFR 80.270.
Although the review and determination associated with these
applications does not involve a rulemaking, we believe it is important
to provide public notice of these applications and to provide
opportunity for public comment. The applicants have requested that we
treat most of the information in their applications as business
proprietary ``Confidential Business Information'' under 40 CFR part 2.
    Any party wishing to provide us input on these applicants in the
context of 40 CFR 80.270 or to provide what they otherwise consider to
be relevant materials should direct these to the contact person listed
above by March 21, 2001. We will consider any relevant information
provided in our evaluation of these applications.

    Dated: February 16, 2001.
Robert D. Brenner,
Acting Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation.
[FR Doc. 01-4864 Filed 2-27-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P

 
 

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