Removal of the Federal Reformulated Gasoline Program from the Southern Maine Area

On this page:

• Rule Summary
• Additional Resources

Rule Summary

On August 20, 2020, Maine submitted a petition to the EPA Administrator requesting to opt-out from the RFG program for York, Cumberland, Androscoggin, Sagadahoc, Kennebec, Knox and Lincoln counties (the Southern Maine Area), which are part of the Portland and Midcoast Ozone Maintenance Areas for the 1997 ozone NAAQS. EPA finds that Maine has provided the required information in the petition, per 40 CFR 1090.290(d). In order to fulfill the requirements of the RFG opt-out regulations, on August 20, 2020, Maine submitted a revision to its maintenance plans for the Southern Maine Area to remove the emissions reductions associated with the use of RFG in the area and to demonstrate that the RFG opt-out would not interfere with the area’s ability to attain or maintain the 1997, 2008 and 2015 ozone NAAQS and any other NAAQS as required by CAA section 110(l) (40 CFR1090.290(d)). EPA published a proposed approval of the SIP revision on March 25, 2021 (86 FR 15844) and a final approval of the SIP revision on June 2, 2021 (86 FR 29520), with an effective date of July 2, 2021.

Subsequently, on July 12, 2021 EPA notified the Commissioner of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection that Maine’s petition to opt-out of the federal RFG program in the Southern Maine Area was approved. The Southern Maine Area will not be a “covered area” in the federal RFG program as of September 30, 2021. As of September 30, 2021, there will no longer be a requirement to sell federal RFG in the Southern Maine Area. This effective date applies to retailers, wholesale purchaser-consumers, refiners, importers, and distributors. On July 12, 2021 EPA signed a Federal Register notice notifying the public that we have approved Maine’s petition and established September 30, 2021 as the effective date of the approval.

After EPA published the Federal Register notice approving Maine’s petition on July 16, 2021 (designating the Southern Maine Area as no longer a covered area), the Administrator signed a ministerial Federal Register notice on August 19, 2022, that amended the regulations at 40 CFR 1090.285(d) to reflect the removal of the Southern Maine Area from the list of covered areas. EPA anticipates that the final rule will soon be published in the Federal Register. 

Final Notification: Removal of the Federal Reformulated Gasoline Program from the Southern Maine Area (PDF) (3 pp, 241 K, published July 16, 2021, About PDF)

Additional Resources

• Fact Sheet: EPA Approves Request from Maine for the Removal of the Federal Reformulated Gasoline Program in the Southern Maine Area (pdf) (3 pp, 106 KB, July 2021, EPA-420-F-21-052)
• Letter from EPA Administrator Regan to Melanie Loyzim, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (pdf) (393.43 KB, July 2021) (1 pg, 403 KB, July 12, 2021)
• Region 1’s June 2, 2021 final rule approving Maine’s SIP revision (86 FR 29520)

• Final Rule: Removal of the Reformulated Gasoline Program from the Southern Maine Area (pdf) (published August 26, 2022)