The United States Environmental Protection Agency announced temporary emergency waivers on fuel environmental standards starting September 1 to lower gas station prices nationwide.
Breitbart News reported that the federal environmental regulatory agency decided to relax environmental requirements to increase domestic gasoline supplies across the country.
Under the emergency measures, introduced in coordination with the United States Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency will allow the sale of E10 gasoline with a higher Reid Vapor Pressure. E10 is a standard motor fuel mixture containing 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent unleaded gasoline.
Reid Vapor Pressure is a standard industry measurement that determines how easily motor fuel evaporates into the atmosphere. Federal regulators strictly limit fuel volatility during hot summer months to curb air pollution and ground level smog, making summer fuel blends more complex and expensive for energy companies to refine.
Emergency fuel waivers
The temporary emergency measures will remain active from September 1 through September 15. On September 15, summer volatility regulations automatically change to milder seasonal standards across the national supply chain.
United States authorities hope that starting the transition to winter fuel standards two weeks early will increase gasoline supplies on the domestic market by hundreds of thousands of barrels per day.
Federal officials expect the sudden increase in daily domestic supply to automatically reduce prices for motorists at retail refueling stations. Winter blend gasoline is generally cheaper to produce because refiners can incorporate higher amounts of volatile components into the mixture.
Rising energy costs
The emergency intervention comes as American consumers face high costs at the pump. United States President Donald Trump previously refused to apologize to Americans for rising gasoline prices caused by the war with Iran.
The Department of Energy works alongside environmental regulators to monitor nationwide fuel stock levels and prevent regional shortages during periods of market volatility. The temporary waiver provides refiners immediate flexibility before autumn regulations take effect.
