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Fuels and Fuel Additives

RFG Regulations and Standards

Regulations and Standards

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Regulations

Modification of Baselines for Gasoline Produced or Imported for Use in Hawaii, Alaska, and U.S. Territories (published October 25, 2007)

This rule finalizes modifications to the Reformulated Gasoline program's conventional gas baseline regulations and to the Mobile Source Air Toxics regulations to allow refiners and importers of gasoline produced or imported for use in Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands to petition EPA to change the way in which they calculate emissions from such gasoline.

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: Reformulated Gasoline Requirements for Former Severe Non-attainment Areas Under the 1-Hour Ozone Standard that Were Redesignated to Attainment for the 1-Hour Standard Prior to Its Evocation, and Which Are Current Non-attainment Areas for the 8-Hour Ozone Standard (signed June 16, 2006)

EPA requested comment on options to revise references in the RFG rule -- specifically, the reasonable date on which we determine the applicability of RFG -- to make them relevant for areas that redesignated to attainment to the 1-hour ozone standard prior to its revocation. Atlanta is the only area that would fall within the scope of this proposal.

Under the first option, Atlanta would be required to use RFG at least until it is redesignated to attainment for the 8-hour NAAQS. Under the second option, the determining factor for Atlanta would be the date of revocation of the 1-hour NAAQS. The use of this effective date would mean that if RFG was a mandatory obligation on that date, then the obligation would continue on after revocation of the 1-hour NAAQS. If RFG was not a mandatory obligation on that date then it would not continue after the date of revocation. EPA would interpret CAA section 211(k)(10)(D) such that an area would no longer be considered an RFG area after redesignation to attainment for the 1-hour NAAQS, if the State requests removal of RFG and demonstrates that removal would not result in loss of emission reductions relied upon in the State attainment plan.

Under the first option, Atlanta would need to adopt RFG, and under the second option, Atlanta would not need to adopt RFG subject to the required demonstration.

Regulation of Fuel and Fuel Additives: Refiner and Importer Quality Assurance Requirements for Downstream Oxygenate Blending and Requirements for Disposition of Pipeline Interfaces (published June 2, 2006)

EPA issued a direct final rule to allow refiners and importers of reformulated gasoline blendstock for oxygenate blending (RBOB) the option to use an alternative method to conduct quality assurance sampling and testing at downstream oxygenate blending facilities. The rule also largely codifies existing guidance for compliance by transmix processors and blenders with requirements for gasoline content standards, recordkeeping, sampling and testing. These modifications provide additional flexibility to refiners and importers supplying RBOB to be blended with ethanol and to refiners who process transmix or blend transmix in gasoline.

Regulation of Fuel and Fuel Additives: Removal of Reformulated Gasoline Oxygen Content Requirement (published May 8, 2006)

EPA amended the RFG regulations to remove the oxygen content requirement and all provisions which were included in the regulations to ensure compliance with the oxygen content requirement. Because the Energy Policy Act of 2005 established different compliance dates for the removal of the RFG oxygen requirement in California and the rest of the country, EPA previously issued two Direct Final Rules (DFRs) and two accompanying Notices of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRMs) implementing the removal of the oxygen requirement.

Direct Final Rules and Notice of Proposed Rulemakings:

Removal of Reformulated Gasoline Oxygen Content Requirement (National) and Revision of Commingling Prohibition to Address Non-Oxygenated Reformulated Gasoline (National) (published February 22, 2006)

Removal of Reformulated Gasoline Oxygen Content Requirement for California Gasoline and Revision of Commingling Prohibition to Address Non-Oxygenated Reformulated Gasoline in California (published February 22, 2006)

These two rules amend the RFG regulations to remove the oxygen content requirement for RFG. Because the compliance date for the removal of the oxygen requirement is different for gasoline sold in California than for gasoline sold in the rest of the country, we are publishing two separate rules:

  • One rule removes the oxygen content requirement for RFG sold nationally (effective on May 6, 2006).
  • The other rule removes the oxygen content requirement for RFG sold in California (effective 60 days from publication of the rule); and

These rules also revise a current prohibition against commingling ethanol-blended VOC-controlled RFG with VOC-controlled RFG produced using other oxygenates. The revision is to prohibit commingling ethanol-blended VOC-controlled RFG with non-oxygenated VOC-controlled RFG, except under certain limited circumstances.

Direct Final Rule: Modifications to Standards and Requirements for Reformulated and Conventional Gasoline Including Butane Blenders and Attest Engagements (published December 2, 2005):

This rule modifies the reformulated and conventional gasoline regulations to correct technical errors, clarify provisions and codify certain guidance previously issued by EPA in question and answer guidance documents.

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Test Methods

Alternative Test Method for Olefins in Gasoline

This final rule allows for an additional alternative test method for olefins in gasoline, ASTM D6500-05. The allowance of this additional alternative test method will provide more flexibility to the regulated industry.

Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Test Methods (published February 6, 2009)

On December 8, 2008, a direct final rule and parallel notice of proposed rulemaking were published in the Federal Register (73 FR 74350 and 73 FR 74403, respectively) to update our motor vehicle fuels programs regulations for several test methods and to provide for an additional alternative test method for olefins in gasoline, ASTM D6550. We subsequently received an unanticipated adverse comment on the provision to allow the additional alternative test method for olefins in gasoline at 40 CFR 80.46(b)(2)(i) and 40 CFR 80.46(h)(1)(iii). We are issuing this notice to withdraw the provisions in the direct final rule on which we received adverse comment. The test method update provisions for which we did not receive adverse comment will become effective on February 6, 2009, as provided in the December 8, 2008, direct final rule.

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RFG OPT-IN / OPT-OUT

RFG OPT-IN

  • Extension of the Reformulated Gasoline Program to the East St. Louis, Illinois Ozone Non-attainment Area (signed December 20, 2006):
  • Extension of the Reformulated Gasoline Program to the St. Louis, Missouri, Moderate Ozone Non-attainment Area (published March 3, 1999)
  • Modification of the Covered Areas Provision for Reformulated Gasoline - RE:  Former Non-attainment Areas(published September 29, 1998): (This modification was subsequently removed and the preexisting regulatory language was reinstated)
  • Extension of the Reformulated Gasoline Program to the Phoenix, Arizona Moderate Ozone Non-attainment Area (published June 3, 1997):

RFG OPT-OUT

  • Removal of the RFG Program from the Phoenix, Arizona Serious Ozone Non-attainment Area (published August 11, 1998)
  • Transitional and General Opt-out Procedures for Phase II Reformulated Gasoline (published October 20, 1997)
  • General Procedures to Opt Out of the RFG Requirements. Also, removal of certain counties in New York, Pennsylvania and Maine from the RFG Program (published July 8, 1996)
  • Extension of Stay of the RFG Program: parts of NY, PA, and ME (published July 10, 1995)

Original RFG Final Rule

Standards for Reformulated and Conventional Gasoline Rule (published February 16, 1994)

This rule establishes the federal RFG program requirements and finalizes the antidumping rules for RFG and conventional gasoline

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If you have questions or request information, please contact the appropriate support or help line found on the Support & Help page.

Please visit EPA's Transportation and Air Quality web-based repository of mobile source documents, Document Index System (DIS). This searchable repository contains regulations, Federal Register notices, policy letters, and guidance documents.

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