U.S. Senator John Curtis (R-UT), along with ten other Republican senators, has called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reverse recent changes to gasoline vapor testing regulations implemented during the Biden administration. In a letter addressed to the EPA, the senators urged a return to previous standards, arguing that the updated requirements are causing confusion and imposing unexpected costs on small business fuel marketers.
“These challenges are already materializing as some operators at liquid fuel terminals are prematurely enforcing the revised vapor tightness standards ahead of the 2027 compliance date, creating confusion and imposing unexpected costs on small business fuel marketers,” the senators wrote. “Industry stakeholders have warned that, absent corrective action by the Trump administration, these standards could result in fuel supply disruptions if charge tank vehicles are denied terminal access due to an inability to immediately comply with these unnecessary requirements.
“Small businesses in our states should not be subject to California’s regulatory overreach,” they continued. “We respectfully request that the EPA work with industry stakeholders to revisit the final rule and restore the prior standard for sources regulated under Subpart XXa and Subpart BBBBBB, while reverting to the former range pressure drop range of 1.0 to 2.5 inches under Subpart R. Reverting to this standard will support fuel supply continuity and ensure that first responders, motorists, farmers, ranchers, and other industries critical to America’s success have reliable access to an adequate fuel supply.”
The letter was led by Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and signed by Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Jon Husted (R-OH), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).
Fuel marketers transport gasoline from supply terminals to local gas stations. The senators argue that changing annual vapor testing requirements for gasoline cargo tanks has increased costs and confusion for these businesses without providing significant benefits. They claim that small business owners have been disproportionately affected by these new rules.
The full text of the letter is available online.
