Posted: | June 5, 2013 03:19 PM |
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From: | Senator Elder A. Vogel, Jr. and Sen. Timothy J. Solobay |
To: | All Senate members |
Subject: | Repeal of Summer RVP Gas |
In the near future, we plan to introduce legislation amending the Air Pollution Control Act (Act 787 of 1959) to eliminate statutory requirements for low Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) gasoline (Summer Gas) in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, and Washington Counties. In 1998, the Department of Environmental Protection adopted a 7.8psi RVP fuel standard for southwestern Pennsylvania to address federal air pollution control measures. Since that time, ethanol became mandated by the federal government, increasing the RVP value of fuel. This resulted in an exclusive “boutique” fuel mandate for southwestern Pennsylvania. In recent years, we have seen higher gas prices averaging 10 to 15 cents higher in western Pennsylvania than in neighboring counties and also across the border in Ohio. In Pennsylvania, this boutique fuel is only required for the Pittsburgh region, and demand for the product is low. This equates to a hidden tax drivers must pay in southwestern Pennsylvania that is not required anywhere else. Last year, Senators Scarnati, Pileggi, Costa, Alloway, Argall, Baker, Blake, Boscola, Brewster, Dinniman, Eichelberger, Erickson, Farnese, Ferlo, Folmer, Fontana, Hughes, Kasunic, Kitchen, Leach, Mensch, Schwank, Orie, Pippy, Rafferty, Robbins, Smucker, Stack, Vance, Ward, Washington, Waugh, D. White, Williams, Wozniak, Yaw, and Yudichak joined us in co-sponsorship of this bill. |
Introduced as SB1037