June 25, 2009

LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan Department of Agriculture's Motor Fuels Quality Unit is advising all gasoline marketers in Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties low vapor pressure region that the legally mandated requirement to sell 7.0 psi (pounds per square inch) vapor pressure gasoline June 1 through September 15 remains in effect.  Further, any firm found selling non-compliant gasoline will be subject to stop sales, administrative fines, prosecution, and license revocation.
 
On June 18, 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it approved a request by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to re-designate those eight counties in the Detroit-Ann Arbor area to attainment of the national health-based eight-hour outdoor air quality standard for ozone (smog).
 
"The announcement by EPA has caused confusion for gasoline marketers in that eight county region as to when distributors and retailers can discontinue selling the low vapor pressure 7.0 psi gasoline and begin selling 9.0 psi gasoline," said Celeste Bennett, MDA's Metrology Lab Director.  "We may lose our federal eight hour air quality attainment designation, if marketers don't adhere the lower vapor gasoline standard."
 
The implementation of the 7.0 psi low vapor pressure gasoline requirement in the eight county region is one of the measures the State of Michigan initiated in order for the region to gain attainment with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).  The continued use of 7.0 psi gasoline in the eight county region is currently required for the region to maintain attainment with the NAAQS.
 
Any allegation of selling non compliant vapor pressure gasoline may be reported to MDA by calling 1-800-MDA-FUEL.
 
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