New Group to Test ULSD for Retailers

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etroleum-industry representatives have set up a consortium to test ultra-low-sulfur diesel that they said would give fuel retailers a potential defense if they are found to be selling ULSD that is over the government’s sulfur limit.

Environmental Protection Agen-cy rules provide fines of up to $32,000 a day for refiners, retailers and fuel distributors found to be supplying ULSD that has more than 15 parts per million of sulfur, unless they can prove it did not cause fuel contamination.

While EPA regulations do not directly require retailers to test fuel, a quality assurance program will be allowed as a defense against a ULSD contamination violation only if that program includes fuel testing, said Frank Lenski, president of the Reformulated Gasoline Survey Association (RFGSA) that set up the program.

For the full story, see the July 17 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.