Areas Participating in the Reformulated Gasoline Program
June 1, 1999
Introduction
Section 107(d) of the Clean Air Act, as amended in 1990 (the Act), required States to identify all areas that do not meet the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) for ozone, and directed EPA to designate these areas as ozone nonattainment areas. Section 181 of the Act required EPA to classify each area as a marginal, moderate, serious, severe or extreme ozone nonattainment area. EPA classified all areas that were designated as in nonattainment for ozone at the time of the enactment of the 1990 Amendments, except for certain "nonclassifiable" areas (56 FR 56694,November 6, 1991).
For a current list of reformulated gasoline program areas, refer to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Mobile Sources, List of Reformulated Gasoline Program Areas. For a current list of ozone nonattainment areas, refer to the EPA Green Book.
Mandated RFG Program Areas
The Act mandates the sale of reformulated gasoline ("RFG") in the nine worst ozone nonattainment areas beginning January 1, 1995. EPA determined the nine covered areas to be the metropolitan areas of Baltimore, Chicago, Hartford, Houston, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York City, Philadelphia, and San Diego.
Any ozone nonattainment area that is reclassified as severe becomes a mandated RFG program area. Inclusion in the RFG program occurs one year following the date of reclassification. Sacramento was reclassified from serious to severe effective June 1, 1995 and became a mandatory RFG area effective June 1, 1996.