Approval of North Carolina's Request To Relax the Federal Reid Vapor Pressure Gasoline Volatility Standard for Mecklenburg and Gaston Counties

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking direct final action to approve a request from the state of North Carolina 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 Mecklenburg and Gaston counties. Specifically, the EPA is approving amendments to the regulations to allow the RVP standard for the two counties to rise from 7.8 pounds per square inch (psi) to 9.0 psi for gasoline. The EPA has determined that this change to the federal RVP regulation is consistent with the applicable provisions of the Clean Air Act (CAA). This action is being taken without prior proposal because the EPA believes that this rulemaking is noncontroversial for the reasons set forth in this preamble, and due to the limited scope of this action.