CARB Eases Gasoline-Emission Rule After Katrina

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o prevent potential gasoline supply shortages in the nation’s most populous state in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the California Air Resources Board said Sept. 9 it would allow the early sale of wintertime gasoline.

CARB’s decision did not apply to diesel fuel because it did not have the seasonal emission variations common in gasoline blends, said Jerry Martin, a CARB spokesman.

The same day the board gave its approval, retailers in California began selling wintertime gasoline — which has a higher volatility level than summertime fuel and is usually not sold until Nov. 1., Martin said.

He added that retailers would continue selling it until the end of March.

As a result, CARB estimated emissions would increase about 50 tons per day above the typical statewide on-road output of 800 tons per day.

This article appears in the Sept. 19 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.