BOSTON – EPA is proposing, at the request of the State of Maine, to require the sale of reformulated gasoline (RFG) in York, Cumberland, Sagadahoc, Androscoggin, Kennebec, Knox and Lincoln counties in southern Maine starting in June 2015.
"The use of RFG in many areas of New England has contributed to cleaner air in the Region,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “We are pleased that Maine also wants to implement this measure in its southern counties.”
The purpose of the federal RFG program is to improve air quality in certain areas through the use of gasoline that is reformulated to reduce motor vehicle emissions that lead to the formation of ground-level ozone. Ground-level ozone can cause breathing problems, aggravate asthma and other pre-existing lung diseases, and make people more susceptible to respiratory infection.
States which are designated by EPA as part of the Ozone Transport Region, such as Maine, can “opt-in” to the program. RFG is currently used in 17 states, including Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and southern New Hampshire, and the District of Columbia.
In 2013, the State of Maine enacted a law establishing the use of RFG in the southern Maine counties beginning May 1, 2014. The Maine legislature subsequently postponed the requirement for sale of RFG until June 1, 2015. EPA is proposing that sale of RFG be required for refiners, importers, and distributors by May 1, 2015, and for retailers and wholesale purchasers-consumers by June 1, 2015.
Maine’s request to opt-in to the RFG program was in response to an industry group’s interest in having a common fuel throughout many areas in New England. Maine DEP’s Air Bureau Director, Marc Cone expects that this initiative will continue to enhance protection of Maine citizens by minimizing ozone precursors and maintain attainment of the ozone federal air quality standard.
