Representatives Drake and Davis Petition Governor to Temporarily Waive Reformulated Gasoline Requirements for Areas in Virginia

Representatives Drake and Davis Petition Governor to Temporarily Waive Reformulated Gasoline Requirements for Areas in Virginia
Waiver would allow the sale of conventional gasoline at the pumps in an effort to drive down prices

Representatives Thelma Drake (VA-02) and Jo Ann Davis (VA-01) sent a letter to Virginia Governor Tim Kaine requesting that he petition the Environmental Protection Agency to temporarily waive the reformulated gasoline (RFG) requirements for Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads and Richmond, Virginia. Citing soaring gas prices, the lawmakers requested this action as a way of temporarily alleviating gasoline spot shortages and easing high fuel prices while transitioning to an environmentally safer ethanol additive. Drake and Davis also asked that Kaine continue to oppose efforts to raise the state gas tax.

"We are writing to request the Commonwealth of Virginia take immediate steps to alleviate gasoline spot shortages and ease high fuel prices by requesting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) temporarily waive the reformulated gasoline (RFG) requirements for Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads and Richmond, Virginia," wrote Drake and Davis. "Consumers are facing gasoline prices at record highs, and these rapid price increases and even shortages in some areas have placed a significant strain on working Virginians. Portions of Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads and Richmond are required to use RFG gasoline to reduce levels of harmful pollutants from the air to improve human health in heavily populated and polluted areas of the country. A temporary waiver would allow gas stations to use conventional fuel, which may be in greater supply, and more affordable," added the lawmakers.

Drake and Davis emphasized that although high gas prices are being caused by several factors, including increased international demand from growing economies like China and India, and the annual price pressures associated with the summer driving season, the transition from MTBE reformulated gasoline (RFG) to ethanol RFG in the Mid-Atlantic and other parts of the country have contributed to the rise in costs. A temporary waiver allowing the use of conventional fuel in Virginia would help during this necessary transition to ethanol RFG. President Bush has also requested the EPA to waive RFG standards for individual states.

The letter explains that MTBE has been used by the refining industries to meet EPA Clean Air requirements to reduce smog and toxic pollutants from car emissions. Portions of Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads and Richmond are required to use RFG gasoline to reduce levels of harmful pollutants from the air to improve human health in heavily populated and polluted areas of the country. However, MTBE is being phased out of production as a gasoline additive because of the demonstrated contamination of drinking water from leaking underground storage facilities. MTBE has already been banned in many states due to health and environmental concerns with its use.

"Congress passed and the President signed into law the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and, although it did not require the phase out of MTBE, refiners have begun to replace MTBE with ethanol to meet environmental and health requirements. This significant shift towards ethanol blended gasoline is good for America's farmers and our long term energy and national security needs," said Drake and Davis.

"We are specifically asking that the Commonwealth of Virginia petition the EPA to grant a temporary waiver of the RFG requirement in the Richmond, Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia areas to ease fuel supply shortages. This waiver should allow the distribution and sale of conventional gasoline (CG) in the affected areas to address supply disruptions, meet demand and ease high prices," added the lawmakers.

http://drake.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=42829