News Releases from Headquarters›Air and Radiation (OAR)

EPA Takes RFS-related Actions to help Farmers and Refiners

Agency Proposes to Revise E15 Fuel Label and Address Storage of High Ethanol Gasoline Blends in Underground Storage Tanks; Proposes New Compliance Timelines in Response to COVID-19 Economic Interruptions

WASHINGTON (January 19, 2021) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking a number of actions through the Renewable Fuel Standard program to provide certainty to impacted stakeholders. These actions include the following:

• Proposing changes to E15 fuel pump labeling requirements.
• Proposing to modify underground storage tank (UST) regulations to accommodate the safe storage of E15 and higher ethanol blends at retail stations’ existing tank systems.
• Proposing to extend the compliance time for certain obligated parties subject to the 2019 Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) and all obligated parties subject to the 2020 RVO given ongoing economic disruptions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Seeking comment on several waiver petitions from Governors and refinery groups pertaining to “severe economic harm” as well as a letter from the National Wildlife Federation pertaining to “severe environmental harm” requesting general waiver relief for the 2019 and 2020 RVOs.

Publication of the rules in the Federal Register will open a 90-day comment period for the public and interested stakeholders to weigh in on the proposed rules and petitions.

For more information on the E15 labeling modifications, please visit: https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/renewable-fuel-standard-program/notice-proposed-rulemaking-e15-labeling

For more information about the UST regulatory modifications, please visit: https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/ust/2020-proposed-rulemaking-e15-fuel-dispenser-labeling-and-compatibility-underground-storage-tanks

For more information about the 2019 and 2020 RVOs deadline compliance extensions, please visit: https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/renewable-fuel-standard-program/renewable-fuel-standard-compliance-deadline-extension

For more information about petitions for waiver requests for the 2019 and 2020 RVOs, please visit: https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/renewable-fuel-standard-program/petitions-waiver-2019-and-2020-renewable-fuel-standards