Agriculture Extends 1-Pound Waiver To Avoid Gasoline Supply Disruption

The Department of Agriculture published notice in the March 19 Pennsylvania Bulletin extending by technical guidance the one-pound Reid Vapor Pressure waiver now in state law, but due to expire on May 1, 2016.

This continues the National Institute of Standards and Technology exception which is also due to expire on May 1.  NIST has been considering extending the waiver, but has not yet acted.

State legislation extending the waiver was reported out of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee Tuesday-- Senate Bill 1123 (Vogel-R-Beaver), but the guidance will serve as a backstop action until the legislation is passed by the Senate and House and signed into law.

Without this policy, and ultimately the legislative change, expiration of the one-pound waiver would create havoc in Pennsylvania’s gasoline supply system in September because a unique fuel would be required to be sold in the state.

The state Department of Agriculture has been working on this issue collaboratively with refiners, the PA Petroleum Association and gasoline distributors and service stations.