Two weeks ago, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the final Fuels Streamlining Rule. The finalized rule will streamline and modernize EPA’s existing regulations for gasoline, diesel, and other fuels by eliminating costly duplication and hundreds of pages of regulatory text. Under these updates, fuel standards will remain just as stringent, while reducing compliance costs for industry and EPA. Most aspects of this rulemaking will go into effect on January 1, 2021.
The EPA’s Fact Sheet on Fuels Regulatory Streamlining Rule is available on their website.
Specifically, this action updates fuels regulations by deleting expired or redundant compliance provisions such as duplicative registration requirements, removing unnecessary and out-of-date requirements, and replacing them with a single set of provisions and definitions.
The EPA estimates that this final action will save $40.4 million per year, largely from reduced administrative costs. Other savings are expected to occur by improving the ability to efficiently deliver compliant fuel through the system and by providing greater flexibility for fuel production and distribution.
