The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued final amendments to the Gasoline Distribution National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP), including both major and area source categories. In addition, EPA issued final updates to the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for Bulk Gasoline Terminals. Gasoline distribution facilities include storage tanks, loading operations and equipment leaks.

These rules, which exclude gasoline stations, are expected to reduce emissions of air toxics, including benzene, hexane, toluene, and xylene, by 2,220 tons per year, and emissions of volatile organic compounds by 45,400 tons per year.

People exposed to toxic air pollutants may have an increased chance of getting cancer or experiencing other serious health effects within their lifetimes. These health effects can include damage to the immune system, as well as neurological, reproductive, developmental, respiratory and other health problems. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can have short- and long-term adverse health effects, and evaporated VOCs can react in the atmosphere to produce secondary pollutants, including ozone and secondary organic aerosol, a contributor to fine particles, or soot.

The air toxics emitted by Gasoline Distribution sources are benzene, hexane, toluene, xylene, ethylbenzene, 2,2,4-trimethylpentane, cumene and napthalene.

This action will require gasoline distribution facilities to adopt cost-effective practices and control technologies to reduce emissions from storage tanks, loading operations, and equipment leaks. EPA is also finalizing New Source Performance Standards for Bulk Gasoline Terminals to reflect the best system of emissions reduction for loading operations and equipment leaks.

Because the rules will reduce air emissions, such as leaks at these facilities, EPA projects that some of these reductions will result in annualized cost savings.

The final action includes revisions related to emissions during periods of startup, shutdown, and malfunction; monitoring and operating provisions for control devices; and electronic reporting.