EPA waives summer gasoline blend requirement for Allegheny County
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday temporarily waived Allegheny County’s summer fuel requirement — which typically results in higher prices at the pump — because of a damaged pipeline supplying Western Pennsylvania.
The EPA is close to repealing the rule requiring a summer gasoline blend but agreed to waive it until June 17 because of damage to Buckeye Partners’ Laurel Products pipeline, according to the Allegheny County Health Department.
“Right now, nobody can enforce the summer gasoline requirements,” said Jim Kelly, deputy director of the county’s health department’s Environmental Health Bureau.
The 350-mile, cross-state pipeline supplies Western Pennsylvania with fuel from Philadelphia area refineries. It was damaged on May 20 after a release of water near Pittsburgh during scheduled maintenance and hydrostatic testing, according to a company statement. Buckeye said it is repairing the damage and ensuring deliveries to all regional terminals.
Kelly said the health department requested the waiver because of an inadequate supply of summer fuel.
He said Pennsylvania and the county health board previously repealed summer blend gas regulations because of decreased ozone emissions from vehicles and boots used at gas stations that prevent ozone emitting vapors to escape. The EPA remained the only agency with authority to enforce the rule.
The EPA has also agreed to repeal it, but required the health department to first conduct an in-depth analysis proving that it would not add to pollution in the county, he said. Officials completed the study early this year, and the EPA on Wednesday closed a public comment period on the proposed change.
Kelly said the EPA is reviewing and responding to one negative comment and would likely issue a ruling by June 17.
Allegheny was part of a seven-county region required for decades to use the summer fuel blend because of pollution levels. The EPA lifted the rule late last year for Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties.