As a result of the fire that shut down Valero’s Memphis, Tennessee refinery, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has exercised its authority under the Clean Air Act to temporarily waive certain federal clean gasoline requirements for parts of Tennessee. This waiver will allow greater flexibility for the fuel distribution system to support an adequate supply. This waiver was granted by EPA in coordination with the Department of Energy (DOE), at the request of Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson determined that extreme and unusual supply circumstances exist, which are likely to result in a shortage of gasoline compliant with federal regulations. The federal waiver will help ensure an adequate supply of gasoline in the affected area until normal supply to the region can be restored. In other words air emissions will be slightly increased in order to have gasoline available during the duration of this emergency resulting from the fire.
As a result of the fire that shut down Valero’s Memphis, Tennessee refinery, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has exercised its authority under the Clean Air Act to temporarily waive certain federal clean gasoline requirements for parts of Tennessee. This waiver will allow greater flexibility for the fuel distribution system to support an adequate supply. This waiver was granted by EPA in coordination with the Department of Energy (DOE), at the request of Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson determined that extreme and unusual supply circumstances exist, which are likely to result in a shortage of gasoline compliant with federal regulations. The federal waiver will help ensure an adequate supply of gasoline in the affected area until normal supply to the region can be restored. In other words air emissions will be slightly increased in order to have gasoline available during the duration of this emergency resulting from the fire.
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The waiver applies to 7.8 psi low RVP requirements that apply in the Shelby County, Tennessee portion of the Memphis metro area. The waiver is effective for 20 days and allows the sale of 9.0 psi conventional gasoline in the Shelby county low RVP covered area. As required by law, EPA and DOE evaluated the situation and determined that granting a short-term waiver was consistent with the public interest. 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
In the event of a fuel supply emergency, EPA, with the concurrence of the Department of Energy, may temporarily waive a fuel or fuel additive requirement if doing so will alleviate the fuel supply emergency. Clean Air Act Section 211(c)(4)(C), which authorizes fuels waivers, specifies the criteria for granting a fuels waiver, and the conditions that must be included in a fuels waiver.
Reid vapor pressure (RVP) is a common measure of the volatility of gasoline. It is defined as the absolute vapor pressure exerted by a liquid at 100 °F (37.8 °C) as determined by the test method ASTM-D-323. The test method applies to volatile crude oil and volatile nonviscous petroleum liquids, except liquified petroleum gases.
The Reid vapor pressure (RVP) differs slightly from the true vapor pressure (TVP) of a liquid due to small sample vaporization and the presence of water vapor and air in the confined space of the test equipment. That is, the RVP is the absolute vapor pressure and the TVP is the partial vapor pressure.
For further information: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/DBBED9C51976BAE3852578E9006E384D
Photo: http://www.valero.com/OurBusiness/OurLocations/Refineries/Pages/Memphis.aspx
