In accordance with the federal Clean Air Act (CAA), EPA establishes fuel quality standards to help protect public health and the environment from harmful gas and particulate matter emissions from motor vehicles and engines.
EPA issued standards in 1973 that called for a gradual phase down of lead to reduce the health risks from lead emissions from gasoline. Beginning in 1989, EPA required gasoline to meet volatility standards (in two phases) to decrease evaporative emissions of gasoline in the summer months. Upon passage of the 1990 CAA amendments, EPA began monitoring the winter oxygenated fuels program implemented by the states to help control emissions of carbon monoxide. It also established the reformulated gasoline (RFG) program, which is designed to reduce emissions of smog-forming and toxic pollutants. EPA also set requirements for gasoline to be treated with detergents and deposit control additives. More recently, EPA has set standards for low sulfur gasoline and low sulfur diesel, which will help ensure the effectiveness of low emission-control technologies in vehicles and reduce harmful air pollution.
Fuels Programs and Regulations
- Gasoline Fuels, Additives, and Reformulated Gasoline
- Renewable Fuels
- Diesel Fuel
- Alternative/Clean Fuels (including methanol, compressed natural gas, electric)
- Emergency Fuel Waivers
- Mobile Source Air Toxics(MSAT)
- Registration and Health Effects Testing
- Fuels Reporting Forms
Resources
- Fact Sheets
- Meetings and Workshops
- Congressional Testimony
- Fuels Reporting Forms and Electronic Data Interchange Guidance
- Guidance on Cetane Improvement Programs (PDF) (32 pp, 253K, EPA420-B-04-005, June 2004, About PDF Files)
Related Links
Contacts for Specific Topics
Fact Sheets and Other Fuel Related Sites
- Reformulated Gasoline fact sheets
- Biodiesel (also available as a PDF) (1 page, 70K, EPA420-F-06-044, October 2006, About PDF)
- E85 and Flex Fuel Vehicles (also available as a PDF) (1 page, 70K, EPA420-F-06-047, October 2006, About PDF)
- MTBE (methyl tertiary-butyl ether)
- Alternative/Clean Fuels Fact Sheets (methanol, natural gas, electric, etc.)
- Comments on the Gasoline Additive MMT (methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl)
Meetings and Workshops
EPA and Clean Fuels Development Coalition (CFDC) announce that an Advanced Biomass Conversion Demonstration Program Workshop will be held December 11, 2006 in Washington, DC. The workshop is for information gathering to support EPA's program responsibilities established in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. EPA is directed to conduct a demonstration program for the production of ethanol from cellulosic biomass. The workshop will allow technology firms to provide EPA with an overview and synopsis of their respective paths to commercialization, with both thermal and sugar platform routes being examined.
Requests to present to EPA are due by November 11, 2006. Those selected will be notified by November 24, 2006. The Information Guideline form and other details can be found at the CFDC website at http://www.cleanfuelsdc.org/. The event will be held at the JW Marriot Hotel in Washington, DC, and a block of rooms are being held for workshop participants. For more information, contact Paul Argyropoulos, EPA, at (202) 564-1123.
Other EPA Sites
- Mobile Source Air Toxic (MSAT) Emissions. Contains regulations, reports, and guidance regarding air toxic emissions from motor vehicles. On March 29, 2001, EPA promulgated new regulations setting standards for gasoline toxics performance levels. These MSAT regulations require each refinery and importer to meet refinery/importer-specific compliance baselines for conventional and reformulated gasolines. To determine these compliance baselines, refineries and importers need to apply to EPA for a toxics baseline.
- EPA "Green Book" Listing of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) Non-Attainment Areas. Lists of areas of the country where air pollution levels persistently exceed the national standards.
- National Air Pollution Emission Trends. Clearinghouse for emission inventories and emission factors (includes models and software).
- Real-Time Air Pollution Data. Provides air quality forecasts for each state.
- Plain English Guide to the Clean Air Act
- Clean Air Act and Amendments
- Federal Register. Provides notices of fuel-related regulations promulgated by EPA.
External Links
- Code of Federal Regulations - Title 40 CFR Part 79 Regulations for the registration of gasoline and diesel fuels and fuel additives, including detergent additives. This link is to the Government Printing Office's site.
- Code of Federal Regulations - Title 40 CFR Part 80 Regulations for fuels and fuel additives, including reformulated and conventional gasoline. This link is to the Government Printing Office's site.
- Energy Information Administration U.S. Department of Energy EIA is a statistical agency that provides independent data, forecasts, and analyses (e.g. prices, production volumes) for gasoline, diesel, alternative fuels, etc.
- California Air Resources Board (CARB)- Fuels Program Provides information on CARB's fuels efforts including: 1) adopting and enforcing fuel specifications, and 2) controlling emissions from marketing and distributing fuels in California.
California Environmental Protection Agency
Contacts
Fuel and Fuel Additive Registration and Health Effects Testing, Reporting Forms and Instructions: Jose Solar, phone: (202) 343-9027, email: solar.jose@epa.gov or Jim Caldwell, phone: (202) 343-9303, email: caldwell.jim@epa.gov
- Surface mail address:
- U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Transportation and Regional Programs Division
- Fuel and Fuel Additive Registration, Mail Code - 6406J
- 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20460-0001
- Courier or overnight delivery address:
- U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Transportation and Regional Programs Division
- Fuel and Fuel Additive Registration, Mail Code - 6406J
- 1310 L Street, NW - Sixth Floor
- Washington, D.C. 20005-4113
Reformulated Gasoline (RFG) and Anti-dumping Reporting Forms and Instructions: John Weihrauch, phone: (202) 343-9477, email: weihrauch.john@epa.gov
Reformulated Gasoline, Gasoline Volatility (RVP), State and Local Programs,Gasoline Oxygenate Additives, and Emergency Fuel Waivers: Kurt Gustafson, phone: (202) 343-9219, email: gustafson.kurt@epa.gov
Tier 2 and Gasoline Sulfur Program: ASD Information Line: (734) 214-4636, email: asdinfo@epa.gov
Diesel Fuel Sulfur Program: Anne-Marie Pastorkovich, phone (202) 343-9623, email: pastorkovich.anne-marie@epa.gov
Early Introduction of Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel and Clean Diesel Retrofit Program: Jim Blubaugh, phone: (202) 343-9244, email: blubaugh.jim@epa.gov
EPA Fuels Programs General Contact: Kurt Gustafson, phone: (202) 343-9219, email: gustafson.kurt@epa.gov.
NOTE: You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, available as a free download, to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more about PDF, and for a link to the free Acrobat Reader.