Approval of Louisiana's Request To Relax the Federal Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) Gasoline Volatility Standard for Several Parishes

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking final action to approve an April 10, 2017 request from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) to relax the Federal Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) 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. Specifically, EPA is approving amendments to the regulations to allow the gasoline RVP standard for these 11 parishes to rise from 7.8 pounds per square inch (psi) to 9.0 psi. EPA has 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 gasoline volatility requirements for the 5-parish Baton Rouge area, and EPA will address that request in a separate rulemaking in the future.