WASHINGTON D.C.
- Today, Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and
Congressman John Joyce (R-PA), along with 82
lawmakers, urged the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) to withdraw a proposed rule that
would mandate the installation of gasoline vapor
balancing equipment at virtually every
small/intermediate bulk storage plant and
loading cargo tank wagon across the country. If
finalized in the current form, the rule would
lead to “higher fuel costs or the elimination of
intermediate gasoline storage at small bulk
plants, impacting supply to end users offering
vital services to their local communities and
potentially cutting off whole communities during
an emergency,” said the bipartisan group of
lawmakers, which includes Democratic
Representatives Angie Craig (MN), Bennie
Thompson (MS) as well as Senators Chuck Grassley
(R-IA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and more.
“The EPA’s overzealous proposed rule
could have disastrous consequences for North
Dakotans. Small, family-owned gasoline bulk
storage plants are a critical part of the fuel
distribution system in rural areas,” said
Senator Cramer. “If finalized, this proposal
would either force increased costs on consumers
or the closure of storage facilities. It’s a
lose-lose for everyone involved, and the EPA
should withdraw the rule.”
Background: In
June 2022, the EPA proposed revisions to the
National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air
Pollutants [NESHAP Subpart BBBBBB (small bulk
gasoline plants)] to require vapor balancing
equipment both for delivering to a storage tank
and loading a cargo tank at all gasoline bulk
plants with a maximum design throughput of 4,000
gallons per day or more. The current threshold
is 20,000 gallons per day of actual throughput.
Gasoline is typically shipped to customers daily
in large tank vehicles that pickup product at a
large supply terminal and deliver a full
truckload directly into customer storage tanks.
However, some customers, including state and
local governments, farmers, ranchers, commercial
end-users, and first responders, require a
smaller volume of gasoline than a full truckload
on an even less frequent delivery schedule.
Unfortunately, the EPA significantly
underestimated the economic impact of the
proposed rule on small business energy marketers
and affect the availability of gasoline in rural
areas and on the farmers, businesses, and first
responders that rely on these small energy
marketers for gasoline.
“Ensuring that
rural gas stations have the necessary supply to
meet demand is essential for our families,
farmers, and emergency services providers. This
issue transcends political divides and it's time
for the EPA to withdraw provisions of the
proposed NESHAP rule that apply to small bulk
plant facilities and put our gasoline supply at
risk,” said Rep. John Joyce (R-PA).
Based
on gasoline bulk plant surveys and upgrade cost
information collected by the Energy Marketers of
America (EMA), the cost to upgrade a gasoline
bulk plant to a vapor balance system for both
transport unloading and tank vehicle loading
will exceed $120,000 per facility. “These
compliance costs to small business energy
marketers are concerning and we urge the EPA to
withdraw this costly proposed rule to keep small
businesses in business and to maintain critical
fuel supply across the country especially during
emergencies,” said EMA President Rob Underwood.
CLICK HERE to read the full text of the
letter. |
