[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 212 (Thursday, November 1, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66074-66075]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-26753]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-9748-4]
Regulation of Fuel and Fuel Additives: Modification to Octamix
Waiver (TOLAD MFA-10A)
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Correction notice.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency reconsidered a portion of
a fuel waiver granted under section 211(f) of the Clean Air Act to the
Texas Methanol Corporation (Texas Methanol) on June 14, 2012, by
issuing a notice to approve the use of an alternative corrosion
inhibitor, TOLAD MFA-10A, in Texas Methanol's gasoline-alcohol fuel,
OCTAMIX. This correction notice explains that TOLAD MFA-10A is to be
blended into the final fuel at 42.7 milligrams per liter (mg/l) rather
than at 25 mg/l, as indicated in the June 14 notice.
ADDRESSES: EPA has established a docket for this action under Docket ID
Number EPA-HQ-OAR-2011-0894. All documents and public comments in the
docket are listed on the http://www.regulations.gov Web site.
Publically available docket materials are available either
electronically through http://www.regulations.gov or in hard copy at
the Air Docket, EPA Headquarters Library, Mail Code: 2822T, EPA West
Building, 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The Public
Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday, excluding holidays. The telephone number for the Public Reading
Room is (202) 566-1742, and the facsimile number for the Air Docket is
(202) 566-9744.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information regarding this notice
contact, Joseph R. Sopata, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office
of Air and Radiation, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, (202)
343-9034, fax number, (202) 343-2800, email address:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
On October 14, 2011, Baker Hughes requested that EPA allow the use
of its alternative corrosion inhibitor, TOLADTM MFA-10A, at
a concentration of 42 mg/l, in the OCTAMIX gasoline-alcohol fuel blend
which otherwise would not be allowed under the OCTAMIX waiver.\1\
TOLADTM MFA-10A is a fuel additive formulation consisting of
a corrosion inhibitor. On January 20, 2012, EPA published a notice in
the Federal Register (77 FR 2979) announcing receipt of Baker Hughes's
request and inviting comment on it. The comment period closed on
February 21, 2012. On June 14, 2012, EPA approved the use of TOLAD MFA-
10A as an alternative corrosion inhibitor in Texas Methanol's gasoline-
alcohol fuel, OCTAMIX.\2\
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\1\ EPA-HQ-OAR-2011-0894-0001.
\2\ 77 FR 35677.
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In that June 14, 2012 decision notice, EPA mistakenly listed the
approved concentration of TOLADTM MFA-10A as 25 mg/l instead
of the requested 42 mg/l. Today's notice corrects that mistake and
explains why the previous approval is still appropriate when using the
concentration of 42 mg/l as originally requested by Baker Hughes.
II. Analysis
The Agency's decision on the overall efficacy of TOLAD MFA-10A as a
corrosion inhibitor for use under the OCTAMIX waiver was largely based
on Baker Hughes' original request for a concentration of 42.7 mg/l.
However, in
[[Page 66075]]
reviewing our decision, we discovered that our analysis regarding the
emission impacts of TOLAD MFA-10A was inadvertently based on the
minimum treat rate of 25 mg/l, whereas Baker Hughes requested and
provided data for TOLAD MFA-10A at a concentration of 42.7 mg/l.\3\
This correction notice therefore explains how our decision to approve
TOLAD MFA-10A as an alternative corrosion inhibitor under the OCTAMIX
waiver is still appropriate when using a concentration of 42.7 mg/l.
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\3\ NACE Standard TM-01-72.
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With regards to the question of the emission impacts of using TOLAD
MFA-10A, its treat rate of 42.7 mg/l is the same as the treat rate of
TOLAD MFA-10, the original corrosion inhibitor approved under the
OCTAMIX waiver. The chemical composition and the treat rate of TOLAD
MFA-10A at 42.7 mg/l, which is less than 0.01 mass percent by weight,
is such that it qualifies as a fuel additive falling under the baseline
gasoline fuel category \4\ under our fuel and fuel additive
registration regulations. In addition, the chemical composition and
treat rate of TOLAD MFA-10A at 42.7 mg/l is such that it meets our
substantially similar definition.\5\ Given that TOLAD MFA-10A at a
concentration of 42.7 mg/l is a fuel additive that is both
substantially similar to fuel additives used in our certification
program and a fuel additive falling under our baseline gasoline fuel
category, one would not expect significant emission changes from the
use of TOLAD MFA-10A compared to other fuel additives that fall under
the baseline gasoline fuel category, which also includes TOLAD MFA-10,
DMA-67 and TXCeed. Therefore, as long as the other conditions of the
OCTAMIX waiver are met, which include applicable volatility
specifications, gasoline phase separation specifications, and alcohol
purity conditions, the Agency believes that the use of TOLAD MFA-10A in
place of TOLAD MFA-10 will allow engines and vehicles to remain
compliant with their emissions standards when using fuels made as
approved under the original conditions granted for the OCTAMIX waiver.
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\4\ See 40 CFR 79.56(e)(3)(i).
\5\ For our most recent substantially similar gasoline
interpretive rule, please see: http://www.epa.gov/fedrgst/EPA-AIR/2008/April/Day-25/a8944.pdf.
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The Agency therefore modifies condition (3) of the OCTAMIX waiver
to read as follows:
(3) Any one of the following four corrosion inhibitors must be
included:
(a) Petrolite's corrosion inhibitor formulation, TOLAD MFA-10,
blended in the final fuel at 42.7 milligrams/liter (mg/l); or
(b) DuPont's corrosion inhibitor formulation, DMA-67, blended in
the final fuel at 31.4 mg/l; or
(c) Spirit of 21st Century LLC's corrosion inhibitor formulation,
TXCeed, blended in the final fuel at 3.9 ml/gal (987.6 mg/l); or
(d) Baker Hughes's corrosion inhibitor formulation, TOLAD MFA-10A,
blended in the final fuel at 42.7 mg/l.
III. Do any of the statutory and executive order reviews apply to this
action?
This final decision corrects an error in our emissions impact
analysis for TOLAD MFA-10A at 42.7 mg/l as well as corrects an error in
the required treat rate of TOLAD MFA-10A at 42.7 mg/l for use with the
OCTAMIX waiver. This final decision does not otherwise change the
requirements in the June 14, 2012 decision notice. As a correction,
this action is not subject to the statutory and Executive Order review
requirements. For information about the statutory and Executive Order
review requirements as they related to the final decision, see the Unit
IV, in the Federal Register of June 14, 2012.\6\
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\6\ 77 FR 35679.
Dated: October 25, 2012.
Lisa P. Jackson,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2012-26753 Filed 10-31-12; 8:45 am]
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