News Releases from Headquarters›Office of the Administrator (AO)

EPA Approves Emergency Fuel Waiver for Florida

CONTACT: press@epa.gov

WASHINGTON (September 6, 2017) – In response to Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt has approved an emergency fuel waiver request from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

EPA has waived the highway diesel fuel red dye requirements to allow the use of 15 parts per million sulfur non-road diesel fuel for on-highway vehicles in Florida as a result of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, though September 22.

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. The request was made by Jeffery F. Koerner, Director of the Florida DEP Air Resource Management Division, on behalf of Florida Governor Rick Scott.

As required by law, EPA and the Department of Energy (DOE) evaluated the situation and determined that granting a 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 Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane 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