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Onboard Refueling Vapor Recovery for Motor Vehicles

Fact Sheet

Background 

The 1990 Clean Air Act (CAA) Amendments contain provisions which require passenger cars to capture refueling emissions, ref. section 202(a)(6) of the CAA. 

In 1994, EPA published regulations which require that vehicles meet refueling emission standards; ref. 59 FR 16262, April 6, 1994. 

Onboard Refueling Regulations 

The EPA rule requires onboard refueling emissions controls for passenger cars and light trucks (e.g., pickups, mini-vans, and most delivery and utility vehicles). The EPA rule does not require onboard refueling emissions controls for heavy-duty vehicles and trucks (those over 8500 pounds gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). The rule covers 97 percent of new vehicles and 94 percent of refueling emissions. 

For passenger cars, the onboard control requirements will be phased in over three model years with 40 percent, 80 percent, and 100 percent of new car production being required to meet the standard in model years 1998, 1999, and 2000, respectively. 

The phase-in of onboard controls for light trucks will follow the phase-in period for cars. Onboard controls for the lighter class of light trucks (those under 6000 pounds GVWR) will be phased in during models years 2001 through 2003, while onboard controls for the heavier light trucks (those from 6001 through 8500 pounds GVWR) will be phased in during models years 2004 through 2006. 

When fully phased in the new controls will capture 95 percent of refueling emissions to cut volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and toxins by 300,000 to 400,000 tons nationwide. The VOCs that evaporate from gasoline during vehicle refueling and at other times are a major cause of urban ozone, or smog. According to a recent EPA study, 45 million Americans breathe air that exceeds the federal air quality standard for ozone, which is harmful to the human respiratory system and to farm crops. 

The rule establishes a refueling emission standard of 0.20 grams per gallon of dispensed fuel, which will yield a 95 percent emission reduction over uncontrolled levels. 

Currently, vehicles use activated carbon canisters to capture evaporative emissions. The rule establishes test procedures which will require vehicles to capture both evaporative and refueling emissions using a carbon canister (or other means). EPA expects that most vehicles will use an integrated evaporative/refueling system to capture both types of emissions. 

Effects on Stage II Programs 

As required by the CAA, serious, severe, and extreme ozone nonattainment areas must, in the near term, maintain Stage II programs despite implementation of the onboard rule. This is due to the extra degree of emission control which Stage II can provide until onboard controls have been widely implemented throughout the in-use vehicle fleet. 

With adoption by EPA of the onboard rule, moderate ozone nonattainment areas are relieved of the CAA requirement to implement Stage II, but many of these areas may need to continue Stage II in order to satisfy other air quality requirements. 

The CAA authorizes EPA to allow state and local agencies to phase out Stage II programs, even in the worst nonattainment areas, once EPA has determined that onboard systems are in widespread use. 

Cost Benefit of Onboard Controls 

Because fuel vapors will be trapped and used as fuel, there are fuel saving benefits associated with onboard systems. When these benefits are considered, the average net cost of the program drops to about $5 per vehicle. Environmental Benefits of Onboard Controls Because the onboard requirement applies to vehicles sold nationwide, the onboard regulations will provide important VOC and air toxins emissions benefits to areas not covered by Stage II systems. In areas with Stage II systems, onboard controls will provide additional benefits, since not all service stations and refueling facilities are covered by the Stage II requirement. 

In the long run, onboard controls could largely replace Stage II, and EPA estimates that onboard systems will reduce annual ozone-forming VOCs and air toxic emissions by approximately 400,000 tons nationwide once these systems are fully phased in. This represents a one to two percent reduction nationwide in ozone-forming VOC emissions. 

Health benefits will also result from the reduction in exposure of consumers and service station attendants to gasoline vapors, which contain toxic compounds, during vehicle refueling operations. 

Annual fuel savings from onboard systems will average about 80 million gallons of gasoline in the 1998 to 2000 time frame. These fuel savings will be substantially greater in later years as the affected proportion of the fleet increases and as trucks are phased into the program. These fuel savings not only reduce emissions from vehicles themselves, but also refineries and transfer points throughout the gasoline distribution system, where evaporation can occur. [rev. 10/23/96]