Relaxation of the Federal Reid Vapor Pressure Gasoline Volatility Standard for Birmingham, Alabama

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve a request from the state of Alabama for the EPA to relax the Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) standard applicable to gasoline introduced into commerce from June 1 to September 15 of each year for Jefferson and Shelby counties (``the Birmingham area''). Specifically, the EPA is proposing to amend the regulations to change the RVP standard for the Birmingham area from 7.8 pounds per square inch (psi) to 9.0 psi for gasoline. The EPA has preliminarily determined that this change to the federal RVP regulation is consistent with the applicable provisions of the Clean Air Act (CAA).