The Environmental Quality Board published notice in the February 25 PA Bulletin seeking public comments on a proposed regulation repealing the low-RVP (Reid Vapor Pressure) gasoline requirement in the seven county Pittsburgh Region.

The low-RVP requirement affects Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties.

The regulation routinely caused gasoline to be at least 10 to 15 cents per gallon more expensive in the Pittsburgh region than in nearby states and counties.

DEP conducted a technical analysis to determine the contribution the low-RVP gasoline requirement makes to reducing volatile organic compound emissions.  DEP found the emissions benefit difference between low-RVP 7.8 gasoline and the 8.7 RVP gasoline required in other parts of the state was only 0.126 tons per day in 2017 (25.2 pounds).

DEP’s Bureau of Air Quality concluded the low-RVP gasoline requirement in the Pittsburgh Region contributed minimally to improved air quality and was trending toward no air quality benefits for the region.

Act 50 of 2014 directed DEP to start the process of repealing the requirement, but only if offsetting air emissions reductions could be found.

In a presentation to the Environmental Quality Board in October, DEP said it would offset any emission reductions lost by the repeal of the requirement by taking credit for regulations already on the books, but for which DEP has not yet taken any credit in the State Air Quality Implementation Plan.

Public comments on this proposal are due to the Board by May 1 and three public hearings have been scheduled all starting at 1:00 p.m.--

-- March 28: DEP Southwest Regional Office, Conference Rooms A & B, 400 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh;

-- March 29: DEP Southeast Regional Office, Delaware & Schuylkill Conference Rooms, 2 East Main Street, Norristown; and

-- March 30: DEP Headquarters Building,  Room 105 Rachel Carson Building, Harrisburg.

Persons interested in presenting testimony at a hearing are requested to contact the Environmental Quality Board by calling 717-787-4526 at least 1 week in advance of the hearing to reserve a time to present testimony.

Oral testimony is limited to 5 minutes for each witness. Witnesses are requested to submit three written copies of their oral testimony to the hearing chairperson at the hearing. Organizations are limited to designating one witness to present testimony on their behalf at each hearing.

Comments may be submitted through DEP’s eComment webpage, by sending them by email to: RegComments@pa.gov or mailed to: Environmental Quality Board, P.O. Box 8477, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8477.

Click Here for a copy of the notice and the proposed regulation.  Questions about the regulation should be directed to: Kirit Dalal, Chief, Division of Air Resource Management, Bureau of Air Quality at 717-772-3436; or Kristen Furlan, Assistant Director, Bureau of Regulatory Counsel at 717-787-7060.

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[Posted: Feb. 24, 2017]

2/27/2017