PA Environmental Quality Board Approves Final Stage I & II Reg. Changes
On November 16, the Environmental Quality Board voted to approve the final regulations making changes to Stage I and II volatile organic compound emission controls on underground gasoline storage tanks.
The EQB voted 17-2 to approve the regulation. The representatives of the Republican Chairs of the Senate and House opposed the approval-later citing concerns regarding the dismantling process.
The regulation allows owners and operators of gasoline dispensing facilities (GDFs) to remove or decommission all Stage II vapor recovery equipment and requires the removal or decommissioning of a certain type of Stage II equipment.
Decommissioning Stage II vapor recovery equipment will eliminate incompatibility with onboard refueling vapor recovery systems and reduce emissions. It retains the requirement to perform two types of annual vapor leak tests.
The proposed regulation would require the installation of ECO nozzles and outlines the procedure for the decommissioning process.
Click Here for more information and available handouts for the meeting. The regulation must now go through the remainder of the regulatory process before it becomes effective, including a review by the Independent Regulatory Review Commission and the Senate and House environmental committees.
PPA has been working closely with the Department of Environmental Protection on this regulation and is glad to see this major step being taken.
