The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved emergency fuel waiver requests made this afternoon on behalf of North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster.

The temporary waiver will help ensure that an adequate supply of gasoline is available in the affected areas until normal supply to the region can be restored.

EPA has waived the federal Reid vapor pressure requirements for fuel sold in designated areas in North Carolina and South Carolina to minimize problems with the supply of gasoline. This waiver will continue through Sept. 15, which is the end of the summer fuel season in these designated areas. EPA has also waived the prohibition on the blending of reformulated gasoline blendstock for oxygenated blending with other gasoline blendstock or oxygenate. This waiver of the comingling prohibition is effective through Oct. 1.

The Clear Air Act allows EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler, in consultation with U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Rick Perry, to waive certain fuel requirements to address shortages that could occur as a result of a hurricane.

As required by law, EPA and DOE evaluated the situation and determined that granting a short-term waiver was consistent with the public interest. EPA and DOE are continuing to actively monitor the fuel supply situation resulting from Hurricane Florence, and will act expeditiously if extreme and unusual supply circumstances exist in other areas.

To mitigate any impacts on air quality, the Clean Air Act provides strict criteria for when fuels waivers may be granted, and requires that waivers be limited as much as possible in terms of their geographic scope and duration.

More information: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/fuel-waivers