The US Environmental Protection Agency Feb. 9 enacted new Mobile Source Air Toxics regulations designed to significantly decrease toxic fumes from gasoline, vehicles, and fuel containers.
The new rules join fuel and vehicle standards already in place in aiming to reduce toxic emissions from cars and trucks to 80% below 1999 levels, EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson said as he signed the latest order.
Essentially, the new MSAT regulations toughen benzene standards for gasoline, set hydrocarbon emission standards for cars at cold temperatures, and require fuel containers to be tighter to prevent evaporation of harmful fumes, EPA said.
It said that once the new standards are fully implemented by 2030, they are expected to reduce MSAT emissions by 330,000 tons/year, including 6,000 tons/year of benzene.
EPA said it expects the vehicle standards to produce $6 billion/year of health benefits from particulate matter reductions by 2030. It said that the entire rule will result in an estimated cost of $400 million/year in 2030.
The regulations’ fuel section lowers the allowable benzene content in gasoline nationwide to an average 0.62 vol % beginning in 2011 from its current level of 1.0 vol %. The limits apply to both reformulated and conventional gasoline. Gasoline sold in California will not be affected because the state already has implemented its own stringent standards similar to what EPA is establishing, the federal agency said.
The fuel regulation includes a nationwide averaging, banking, and trading program. EPA said that in addition to the 0.62 vol % standard, refiners and importers will have to meet a maximum average benzene standard of 1.3 vol % beginning July 1, 2012.
Much less variation
EPA said the regulation should lower benzene levels in all areas of the country and result in significantly less geographic variations. Regions where benzene levels currently are highest, such as Alaska and the Northwest, will experience the biggest reductions, it predicted.
The agency said it would “provide special compliance flexibility for approved small refiners or any refiner facing extreme unforeseen circumstances.”
For vehicles, the regulations aim to reduce benzene and other nonmethane hydrocarbon (NMHC) exhaust emissions by tightening current test procedures which often do not control such emissions at temperatures below 75° F.
The new rule will establish a sales-weighted fleet average for each manufacturer’s cars and trucks of 0.3 g/mile for vehicles weighing 6,000 lb or less, phased in from 2010 through 2013. Heavier vehicles, including trucks weighing up to 8,500 lb and passenger vehicles up to 10,000 lb will have to meet a 0.5 g/mile sales-weighted NMHC average, phased in from 2012 through 2015.
“A credit program and other provisions provide flexibility to manufacturers, especially during the phase-in periods,” EPA said.
Rule for containers
The new regulations also establish standards to limit hydrocarbon emissions that evaporate from or permeate through portable fuel containers. The rule applies to containers for kerosine and diesel fuel as well as gasoline.
Starting with containers manufactured in 2009, allowable evaporation or permeation emissions will be limited to 0.3 g/gal/day, EPA said. “We are also adopting test procedures and a certification and compliance program in order to ensure that containers will meet the new emission standard over a range of in-use conditions.”
EPA said it has worked closely with major container manufacturers, and it anticipates that new cans will be built with a simple and inexpensive permeation barrier and new spouts which will close automatically.
National Petrochemical & Refiners Association Vice-Pres. Charles T. Drevna said the trade group is reviewing EPA’s new regulations “with close attention to its potential impact on gasoline supply.”
The order further tightens gasoline specifications, especially for conventional gasoline, which represents about two thirds of the nation’s total supplies, he noted Feb. 9.
“EPA has incorporated averaging, banking, and trading. However, part of the rule does not permit the use of credits. This constraint is a concern for some refiners. In addition, this will have different impacts on individual refiners,” Drevna said.
