Relaxation of the Federal Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) Gasoline Volatility Standard for Several Parishes in Louisiana

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to approve an April 10, 2017 request from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) to relax the Federal Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) volatility standard applicable to gasoline introduced into commerce from June 1 to September 15 of each year for the following parishes: Beauregard, Calcasieu, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lafourche, Orleans, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, and St. Mary. For this action, EPA is proposing to amend the regulations to allow the RVP volatility standard for the 11 named parishes to increase from 7.8 pounds-per-square-inch (psi) to 9.0 psi for gasoline sold within those parishes. EPA has preliminarily determined that this change to the Federal gasoline RVP volatility regulation is consistent with the applicable provisions of the Clean Air Act (CAA). LDEQ has also requested that EPA relax summertime gasoline volatility requirements for the 5-parish Baton Rouge area, and EPA will address that request in a separate rulemaking at a later date.