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Benzene Reduction Campaign Status
Oregon Toxics Alliance’s long running benzene reduction campaign is already proving to be a succcess. Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is adopting new air quality regulations, and - due in large part to OTA’s persistence - they will go further to reduce benzene than federal rules. In a nutshell, the DEQ took recommendations by OTA to make the following changes to the state’s rules:
- End the practice of “topping off” at all gas stations.
- Require most gas stations to recapture gas fumes during tank refueling.
Significantly, this is the first time that a Do Not Top Off rule will be implemented statewide. The DEQ’s new rule contains a provision forbidding topping off at virtually all gasoline facilities in Oregon, beginning July 1, 2009. Furthermore, Stage I vapor recovery will be implemented at gasoline facilities whose monthly throughput of gasoline is greater than 40,000 gallons. What this means is tanker trucks delivering gasoline will have to capture harmful vapors while they are dispensing fuel to underground tanks, rather than letting them escape into the surrounding air. The federal rule only requires vapor recovery at gas facilities dispensing more than 100,000 gallons per month. OTA was very active on the advisory committee that scrutinized the proposed rules and pushed back against fuel industry representatives seeking to relax those rules.
A big thanks to the DEQ for staying with the more stringent rule and putting the health of Oregonians first!
And a big thanks to all of you who have been displaying OTA’s Don't Top Off and No Idling stickers on your cars and adopting these common-sense practices.
OTA is continuing our campaign by partnering with business and government agencies to educate the public about idling and benzene. Click here for a list of our partners. And we are continuing our education campaign in general. If you don’t yet have stickers, contact OTA and we’ll be glad to get some to you.
Click here or the DEQ press release (you will need the Adobe Reader to view it).