News Releases from Headquarters

EPA Acts to Continue the Waiver of Fuel Requirements in Texas

WASHINGTON (September 13, 2017) – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt has approved the request from the State of Texas to continue to waive requirements for fuels in Texas through the end of the month to help address the emergency circumstances in Texas from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

The waiver is for reformulated gasoline (including gasoline blendstock for oxygenate blending) and low volatility gasoline in Texas, and also continues the previous waived requirement to use Texas Low Emission Diesel (TxLED) in 110 counties in Texas. This waiver is effective immediately and will continue through October 1, 2017.

The waiver authority was exercised under the Clean Air Act and was granted by EPA Administrator Pruitt, in coordination with the U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, at the request of Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Executive Director Richard Hyde and Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

EPA and DOE determined that granting this short-term waiver was consistent with the public interest. EPA and DOE are continuing to actively monitor the fuel supply situation as a result of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, and will act expeditiously if extreme and unusual supply circumstances exist in other areas.

To mitigate any impacts on air quality the Clean Air Act provides strict criteria for when fuels waivers may be granted, and requires that waivers be limited as much as possible in terms of their geographic scope and duration.

More information: www.epa.gov/enforcement/fuel-waivers

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