['Air Programs']
['Mobile Emission Sources', 'Air Quality', 'Air Emissions', 'Greenhouse Gases']
10/18/2024
Copyright 2024 J. J. Keller & Associate, Inc. For re-use options please contact copyright@jjkeller.com or call 800-558-5011.
...
Title II of the Clean Air Act addresses air pollutants from mobile sources including aircraft, ships, nonroad vehicles, nonroad engines, and fuels. While motor vehicles built today emit fewer pollutants (60 to 80 percent less, depending on the pollutant) than those built in the1960s, cars and trucks still make up almost half the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), and up to 90 percent of the carbon monoxide emissions in urban areas. This is mostly because of the sheer number of vehicles on the roadways, and the total miles driven. The growth of vehicles on the road has offset a large portion of the emission reductions gained from motor vehicle controls.
Scope
The Clean Air Act amendments of 1990 established tighter pollution standards for emissions from mobile sources. These standards reduce tailpipe emissions of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides. Automobile manufacturers are also required to reduce vehicle emissions resulting from the evaporation of gasoline during refueling.
Regulatory citations
Key definitions
- Carrier: Any distributor who transports or stores or causes the transportation or storage of gasoline or diesel fuel without taking title to or otherwise having any ownership of the gasoline or diesel fuel, and without altering either the quality or quantity of the gasoline or diesel fuel.
- Control area: A geographic area in which only oxygenated gasoline under the oxygenated gasoline program may be sold or dispensed, with boundaries determined by section 211(m) of the Act.
- Conventional gasoline: Any gasoline which has not been certified under 80.40.
- Distributor: Any person who transports or stores or causes the transportation or storage of gasoline or diesel fuel at any point between any gasoline or diesel fuel refinery or importer’s facility and any retail outlet or wholesale purchaser-consumer’s facility.
- Gasoline: Any fuel sold in any State1 for use in motor vehicles and motor vehicle engines, and commonly or commercially known or sold as gasoline.
- Gasoline blending stock, blendstock, or component: Any liquid compound which is blended with other liquid compounds to produce gasoline.
- Jet fuel: Any distillate fuel used, intended for use, or made available for use in aircraft.
- Liquefied petroleum gas: A liquid hydrocarbon fuel that is stored under pressure and is composed primarily of species that are gases at atmospheric conditions (temperature = 25 °C and pressure = 1 atm), excluding natural gas.
- Methanol: Any fuel sold for use in motor vehicles and commonly known or commercially sold as methanol or MXX, where XX is the percent methanol (CH3OH) by volume.
- Motor vehicle diesel fuel: Any diesel fuel or other distillate fuel that is used, intended for use, or made available for use in motor vehicles or motor vehicle engines.
- Natural gas: A fuel whose primary constituent is methane.
- Natural gas liquids (NGL): The components of natural gas (primarily propane, butane, pentane, hexane, and heptane) that are separated from the gas state in the form of liquids in facilities such as a natural gas production facility, a gas processing plant, a natural gas pipeline, or a refinery or similar facility. The higher temperature boiling components of NGL are sometimes
- Nonroad diesel engine: An engine that is designed to operate with diesel fuel that meets the definition of nonroad engine in 40 CFR 1068.30, including locomotive and marine diesel engines.
- Oxygenate: Any substance which, when added to gasoline, increases the oxygen content of that gasoline. Lawful use of any of the substances or any combination of these substances requires that they be “substantially similar” under section 211(f)(1) of the Clean Air Act, or be permitted under a waiver granted by the Administrator under the authority of section 211(f)(4) of the Clean Air Act.
- Oxygenated gasoline: Gasoline which contains a measurable amount of oxygenate.
- Refinery: Any facility, including but not limited to, a plant, tanker truck, or vessel where gasoline or diesel fuel is produced, including any facility at which blendstocks are combined to produce gasoline or diesel fuel, or at which blendstock is added to gasoline or diesel fuel.
- Retail outlet: Any establishment at which gasoline, diesel fuel, methanol, natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas is sold or offered for sale for use in motor vehicles or nonroad engines, including locomotive engines or marine engines.
- Reformulated gasoline: Any gasoline whose formulation has been certified under 80.40, and which meets each of the standards and requirements prescribed under 80.41.
- Sulfur percentage: The percentage of sulfur in diesel fuel by weight, as determined using the applicable sampling and testing methodologies set forth in 80.580.
- Tank truck: A truck and/or trailer used to transport or cause the transportation of gasoline or diesel fuel, that meets the definition of motor vehicle in section 216(2) of the Act.
- Unleaded gasoline: Gasoline which is produced without the use of any lead additive and which contains not more than 0.05 gram of lead per gallon and not more than 0.005 gram of phosphorus per gallon.
Summary of requirements
- Motor vehicle engines and nonroad vehicles and engines must meet CAA emissions standards.
- New vehicle and engines must have an EPA-issued certification certificate of conformity before import or entry into the United States demonstrating that the engine conforms to all applicable emissions requirements.
- Certified vehicles and engines must be properly labeled.
- The CAA prohibits anyone from tampering with emission control devices or selling or installing “defeat devices,” which bypass, defeat, or render inoperative any emission control device.
- The CAA regulates fuel used in motor vehicles and non-road equipment. All fuel and fuel additives produces, imported, and sold in the U.S. must meet certain standards.
- Transportation fuel sold in the U.S. must contain a minimum volume of renewable fuel to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the use of petroleum fuels.
- Renewable fuel producers and importers generate renewable identification numbers (RINs) for each gallon of renewable fuel.
- Refiners and importers must acquire RINs to show compliance with the standard.
READ MORESHOW LESS
['Air Programs']
['Mobile Emission Sources', 'Air Quality', 'Air Emissions', 'Greenhouse Gases']
Load More
J. J. Keller is the trusted source for DOT / Transportation, OSHA / Workplace Safety, Human Resources, Construction Safety and Hazmat / Hazardous Materials regulation compliance products and services. J. J. Keller helps you increase safety awareness, reduce risk, follow best practices, improve safety training, and stay current with changing regulations.
Copyright 2024 J. J. Keller & Associate, Inc. For re-use options please contact copyright@jjkeller.com or call 800-558-5011.