U.S. refiners upgrade gasoline sulfur plan

The American Petroleum Institute and the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association have upgraded their proposal to lower sulfur levels in gasoline while limiting the costs.

The two groups proposed gasoline sulfur reductions to the Environmental Protection Agency this spring (OGJ, Mar. 30, 1998, p. 29).

Their revised plan proposes a maximum per gallon sulfur level, or "cap," in addition to previously proposed average sulfur levels. It also calls for those sulfur levels to apply year-round, instead of just during the summer months, and adds six more states and part of a seventh to those that automatically receive the lower of the two recommended sulfur levels of gasoline.

The groups said their plan is designed to provide fuels for lower-emissions autos under development.

API and NPRA said their proposal deals with anticipated air quality and auto technology needs as well as consumer expectations in 2004, the time frame covered by EPA's Tier II vehicle emissions standards rulemaking.

They noted that continued advances in auto technology and future environmental requirements may lead to additional modifications in the fuel-vehicle system in the longer term. The upgrades were in response to suggestions from EPA and several states that would be affected and reflect the latest vehicle research completed for API.

It said those vehicle and fuel test results show that vehicles already have been designed to meet strict emission standards using fuels with sulfur levels contained in the industry plan.

"The test results also demonstrate that the proposal supports efforts to achieve additional air quality benefits from tighter tailpipe standards expected in EPA's Tier II rulemaking under the Clean Air Act. API and NPRA plan to submit these test results to independent experts for peer review."

State breakouts

One of the proposed fuels would help meet special air quality needs in 22 states and part of another state in the Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest, plus the District of Columbia.

This fuel is intended to reduce ozone-producing nitrogen oxides (NO_x) emissions in 22 states that EPA has designated as regions where ozone-producing chemicals drift from other areas.

Those states include large areas that do not need the more expensive reformulated gasoline (RFG) now required for urban areas with the most significant smog problems and that now account for about a fourth of U.S. gasoline sales.

This low-sulfur gasoline proposed for 22 states plus East Texas and the District of Columbia will have a year-round average sulfur level of 150 ppm and a maximum per-gallon level of 300 ppm. The proposed average reduces by nearly half the current average of 340 ppm and replaces the current maximum of 1,000 ppm.

States that would receive this gasoline include Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The latest API-NPRA proposal adds Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, and East Texas to the initially proposed 22 states.

Among those initial 22 states, five other states (Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island) and the District of Columbia already receive reformulated gasoline statewide because of air quality needs or requirement, and will receive the next phase of federal RFG when it becomes available in 2000. That gasoline will average the same low level of sulfur (150 ppm), and the industry's proposed 300 ppm cap would apply to the RFG areas. The other proposed fuel would be available for all other states except California, which has its own fuel standards.

This gasoline will have an average sulfur level of 300 ppm and a maximum per-gallon level of 450 ppm. Under the industry proposal, these states also could choose to request EPA's approval to receive the lower sulfur, NOx control gasoline conditioned on a demonstration of need.