Learn the Issues
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In a situation where Refinery A purchases finished conventional gasoline from Refinery B, Refinery B should include the gasoline in its compliance calculations and Refinery A should exclude it. If Refinery A blends the gasoline with its own blendstocks and, therefore, must mathematically adjust the volume and properties of the average conventional gasoline production to account for the gasoline from Refinery B, what properties should be used in this adjustment, the analysis performed by Refinery B prior to shipment, or the analysis performed by Refinery A as the product was received?
See More Frequent Questions about Fuels Registration, Reporting, and Compliance Help. The analysis of the product that is performed by Refinery A should be used. (4/18/95) This question and answer was posted at
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EPA Regional Administrator Martucci Wraps Weeklong Trip to Puerto Rico Highlighting Brownfields Investment and Environmental Restoration
EPA News Release: EPA Regional Administrator Martucci Wraps Weeklong Trip to Puerto Rico Highlighting Brownfields Investment and Environmental Restoration
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Should the summer toxics model be used for RFG during the 1995 California VOC transition seasons (i.e., before May 1 and after September 15) when California regulations limit RVP to 7.8 psi?
See More Frequent Questions about Fuels Registration, Reporting, and Compliance Help. RFG that is designated as VOC controlled by the refiner must use the summer model and must comply with the RVP standard for the appropriate VOC control region. RFG that is designated as non-VOC controlled by the refiner must…
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Should separate samples be collected for RVP analysis?
See More Frequent Questions about Fuels Registration, Reporting, and Compliance Help. One sample may be used for all of the RFG parameters that need to be determined, including RVP. However, because sample handling in the laboratory may affect various reformulated gasoline properties, such as RVP, analyses must be performed in…
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On a shipment from our refinery to a pipeline we are often providing transfer of title to another oil company while simultaneously transferring custody to the pipeline. Pipeline companies are telling us that as long as the shippers code (as part of the batch designation) identifies that exchange partner receiving title, we do not have to generate a separate transfer document to that exchange partner. Is this O.K?
See More Frequent Questions about Fuels Registration, Reporting, and Compliance Help. No. As the transferor, you would be responsible for providing PTD information to any party that directly receives custody or title of a delivery of RFG, RBOB or conventional gasoline from you. In the above scenario you would have…
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Should batch reports for blended gasoline be submitted by the facility at which gasoline is blended or the facility from which the blended gasoline is shipped?
See More Frequent Questions about Fuels Registration, Reporting, and Compliance Help. The facility where blending occurs. (7/1/94) This question and answer was originally posted at
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Section 80.77(d) requires the PTD to provide "the location of the gasoline at the time of the transfer." In a situation where the transferor is a truck carrier, what does the term "location" refer to?
See More Frequent Questions about Fuels Registration, Reporting, and Compliance Help. For the PTD transferred from the terminal to the truck carrier, "the location of the gasoline at the time of the transfer" would be the terminal. For the PTD transferred from the truck carrier to the next party in…
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Putnam and Orange Counties in New York were not included in the list of RFG covered areas in § 80.70. Was there exclusion an oversight?
See More Frequent Questions about Fuels Registration, Reporting, and Compliance Help. Yes. A correction has been made to include Putnam and Orange Counties in the New York City reformulated gasoline covered area. These counties are part of the New York City CMSA and are thus appropriately part of the New…
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Newsletter: East Palestine Train Derailment Response, 5-30-2023
Newsletter May 16 for East Palestien Train Derailment Response
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Public terminals that "refine" and "blend" RFG, RBOB or conventional gasoline as defined in the RFG rules at 40 CFR Part 80, and obtain agreements from their customers to comply with the refiner/blender requirements of the rule, will not separately need to register with EPA. It is my understanding that terminals in such situations must not register. Is my understanding correct?
See More Frequent Questions about Fuels Registration, Reporting, and Compliance Help. No. In a situation in which more than one party fits the definition of a refiner or oxygenate blender under the regulations, each such party is subject to the requirements under the regulations, including registration requirements. Where, for a…
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Newsletter: East Palestine Train Derailment Response, 4-4-2023
April 4 newsletter in html for East Palestine Train Derailment Response
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Newsletter: East Palestine Train Derailment Response, 6-6-2023
Newsletter May 16 for East Palestien Train Derailment Response
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For purposes of RFG compliance on average, can refiners treat closely integrated facilities operating in a single covered area as a single facility, or must compliance be achieved separately for each facility? Suppose the refinery operation consists of mixing blending components to produce finished RFG using tankage in multiple terminals in close proximity, the blender is meeting all refiner requirements. and the blender is the responsible party for record keeping, reporting, and compliance. Can the refiner/blender aggregate the operations at all the facilities used for compliance on average purposes or must he meet the standards separately at each terminal?
See More Frequent Questions about Fuels Registration, Reporting, and Compliance Help. Under § 80.67(b)(1), refiners must meet all applicable averaged standards separately for each of the refiner's refineries (i.e., for each facility at which gasoline is produced.) This would include terminals at which RFG is produced through a blending process…
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Newsletter: East Palestine Train Derailment Response, 5-9-2023
Newsletter May 9 for East Palestien Train Derailment Response
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Is a PTD required for transferring an unassigned RIN?
See More Frequent Questions about Fuels Registration, Reporting, and Compliance Help. No. PTDs are not required when transferring unassigned RINs. However, PTDs are required whenever there is a transfer of ownership of a renewable fuel. Where the fuel is being transferred with assigned RINs, then the PTD must include information…
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Is Puerto Rico considered a domestic producer? There are no federal RVP standards there--do they use summer fuels in the winter complex model?
See More Frequent Questions about Fuels Registration, Reporting, and Compliance Help. Puerto Rico refineries are considered federal gasoline producers. If their fuel remains seasonally the same throughout the year, they meet the criteria of a refiner marketing in an area with no seasonal changes, and they are only required to…
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For the purposes of the RFG sampling and testing requirements under § 80.65(e) and (f), may a refiner use the option under which the independent lab samples and tests 100% of the batches for some parameters, and use the option under which the refiner tests 100% of the batches and the independent lab samples 100% of the batches and tests 10% of the batches for other parameters?
See More Frequent Questions about Fuels Registration, Reporting, and Compliance Help. Refiners and importers may not use the 100% independent lab analysis option for certain parameters and the 10% independent lab analysis option for other parameters, but must use the same option for all RFG parameters. However, a refiner or…
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A procedure has been outlined by the EPA for the certification of oxygen content by meter for the oxyfuel program. Can this method be used for certification of oxygen content in reformulated gasoline? Is an exemption for in-line blending required?
See More Frequent Questions about Fuels Registration, Reporting, and Compliance Help. No. The regulatory method for oxygen testing, or the approved temporary method discussed in question 39, must be used for certification of reformulated gasoline produced at the refinery and also for blending oxygenate with RBOB. For further discussion of…
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Prior to the RFS rule, industry has used an equation for standardization of ethanol volumes that carries the correction factor out to 5 digits rather than 7 digits as in the formula given in the RFS rule at 80.1126(d)(7)(i). Will use of the equation currently in practice suffice for purposes of compliance with the RFS rule?
See More Frequent Questions about Fuels Registration, Reporting, and Compliance Help. Because the difference between the five-digit and seven-digit factors is extremely small, regulated parties may find that it makes no practical difference whether they use the shorter factor for batches of a certain size . If it makes no…
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Please confirm that a terminal can blend complying grades of gasoline to form another grade of gasoline and the terminal would not be considered to be a refiner. An example would be the blending of premium unleaded and unleaded regular to provide mid-grade unleaded.
See More Frequent Questions about Fuels Registration, Reporting, and Compliance Help. The blending of two certified RFG gasolines to make a mid-grade gasoline is permitted provided that the segregation restraints specified in section 80.78 are not violated. The terminal or gasoline station will not be considered a refiner provided no…