The EPA will temporarily relax seasonal gasoline requirements beginning Sept. 1 in an effort to add hundreds of thousands of barrels per day to domestic fuel supplies and reduce prices at the pump.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Environmental Protection Agency is moving to temporarily loosen seasonal gasoline requirements beginning Sept. 1, an emergency action the Trump administration says will increase domestic fuel supplies and help bring down prices for motorists.
Working with the Department of Energy, the EPA will authorize the sale of E10 gasoline — fuel containing 10% ethanol — at a higher Reid Vapor Pressure, or RVP, than normally permitted during the summer control season, Breitbart News reported.
Administration officials estimate the temporary change will make hundreds of thousands of additional barrels of gasoline available each day.
The move effectively shortens the period during which stricter warm-weather RVP standards remain in force.
RVP measures gasoline’s tendency to evaporate. Higher-RVP gasoline evaporates more readily and can result in greater emissions, while lower-RVP fuel is required during warmer months to help control evaporative emissions. During colder weather, regulators allow higher vapor pressure because it assists with engine starting.
The emergency waiver will take effect Sept. 1 and remain in place through Sept. 15, when the summer control season ends and federal vapor-pressure requirements normally begin easing for the colder months.
EPA officials announced the action in advance to give refiners, terminals, fuel distributors and other companies sufficient time to adjust their distribution systems before the waiver takes effect.
The administration says increasing the amount of gasoline that can legally be sold during those final weeks of the summer fuel season should place downward pressure on retail prices by expanding available supply.
The decision comes as motorists are paying substantially more for gasoline than they were a year ago.
The national average is approximately $4.10 per gallon, according to AAA gasoline price data. On the West Coast, prices are considerably higher, with California motorists paying nearly $5.60 per gallon on average.
A year earlier, the national average stood at approximately $3.13 per gallon.
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the waiver is part of the administration’s broader effort to use federal regulatory authority to increase energy availability and reduce household costs.
“President Trump has prioritized ensuring American families have affordable gasoline and energy. Throughout this administration, EPA has taken decisive action like issuing RVP waivers to provide relief at the pump and fortify our gasoline supply chain,” Zeldin said in a statement to Breitbart News.
“Today, we continue this work with our federal partners to increase supply and lower gas prices for all Americans,” Zeldin continued. “Across the administration, we will continue to execute President Trump’s agenda and provide Americans with a prosperous and affordable nation.”
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the policy is intended to address prices by increasing the quantity of fuel available to consumers.
“Increasing the supply of gasoline means lower prices for American families,” Wright said.
He described the joint EPA and Energy Department action as another example of the administration “using every available tool to cut red tape, increase the supply of gasoline, and lower prices at the pump.”
“Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we are advancing commonsense policies that prioritize energy addition and put the American people first,” Wright added.
The waiver does not permanently alter federal gasoline standards. Instead, it temporarily permits higher-RVP E10 to be sold during the final two weeks of the summer regulatory period.
By moving the effective date to Sept. 1 rather than waiting until the normal Sept. 15 seasonal transition, federal officials expect refiners and distributors to gain additional flexibility at a time when gasoline prices remain significantly above year-ago levels.
The administration is betting that the resulting increase in available supply will translate into relief at filling stations as the summer driving season draws to a close.
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