(a) Definitions.

(1) A foreign refinery is a refinery that is located outside the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (collectively referred to in this section as “the United States”).

(2) A foreign refiner is a person that meets the definition of refiner under §80.2(i) for a foreign refinery.

(3) Benzene-FRGAS means gasoline produced at a foreign refinery that has been assigned an individual refinery benzene baseline under §80.1285, has been approved as a small refiner under §80.1340, or has been granted temporary relief under §80.1335, and that is imported into the United States.

(4) Non-Benzene-FRGAS means

(i) Gasoline meeting any of the conditions specified in paragraph (a)(3) of this section that is not imported into the United States.

(ii) Gasoline meeting any of the conditions specified in paragraph (a)(3) of this section during a year when the foreign refiner has opted to not participate in the Benzene-FRGAS program under paragraph (c)(3) of this section.

(iii) Gasoline produced at a foreign refinery that has not been assigned an individual refinery benzene baseline under §80.1285, or that has not been approved as a small refiner under §80.1340, or that has not been granted temporary relief under §80.1335.

(5) Certified Benzene-FRGAS means Benzene-FRGAS the foreign refiner intends to include in the foreign refinery's benzene compliance calculations under §80.1240 or credit calculations under §80.1275 and does include in these calculations when reported to EPA.

(6) Non-Certified Benzene-FRGAS means Benzene-FRGAS that is not Certified Benzene-FRGAS.

(b) Baseline for Early Credits. For any foreign refiner to obtain approval under the benzene foreign refiner program of this subpart for any refinery in order to generate early credits under §80.1275, it must apply for approval under the applicable provisions of this subpart.

(1) The refiner shall follow the procedures specified in §§80.1280 and 80.1285 to establish a baseline of the volume of gasoline that was produced at the refinery and imported into the United States during the applicable years.

(2) In making determinations for foreign refinery baselines EPA will consider all information supplied by a foreign refiner, and in addition may rely on any and all appropriate assumptions necessary to make such determinations.

(3) Where a foreign refiner submits a petition that is incomplete or inadequate to establish an accurate baseline, and the refiner fails to correct this deficiency after a request for more information, EPA will not assign an individual refinery baseline.

(c) General requirements for Benzene-FRGAS foreign refiners. A foreign refiner of a refinery that is approved under the benzene foreign refiner program of this subpart must designate each batch of gasoline produced at the foreign refinery that is exported to the United States as either Certified Benzene-FRGAS or as Non-Certified Benzene-FRGAS, except as provided in paragraph (c)(3) of this section.

(1) In the case of Certified Benzene-FRGAS, the foreign refiner must meet all requirements that apply to refiners under this subpart.

(2) In the case of Non-Certified Benzene-FRGAS, the foreign refiner shall meet all the following requirements:

(i) The designation requirements in this section;

(ii) The recordkeeping requirements in this section and in §80.1350;

(iii) The reporting requirements in this section and in §§80.1352 and 80.1354;

(iv) The product transfer document requirements in this section;

(v) The prohibitions in this section and in §80.1358; and

(vi) The independent audit requirements in this section and in §80.1356.

(3)

(i) Any foreign refiner that generates early benzene credits under §80.1275 shall designate all Benzene-FRGAS as Certified Benzene-FRGAS for any year that such credits are generated.

(ii) Any foreign refiner that has been approved to produce gasoline subject to the benzene foreign refiner program for a foreign refinery under this subpart may elect to classify no gasoline imported into the United States as Benzene-FRGAS provided the foreign refiner notifies EPA of the election no later than November 1 preceding the beginning of the next compliance period.

(iii) An election under paragraph (c)(3)(ii) of this section shall be for a 12 month compliance period and apply to all gasoline that is produced by the foreign refinery that is imported into the United States, and shall remain in effect for each succeeding year unless and until the foreign refiner notifies EPA of the termination of the election. The change in election shall take effect at the beginning of the next annual compliance period.

(d) Designation, product transfer documents, and foreign refiner certification.

(1) Any foreign refiner of a foreign refinery that has been approved by EPA to produce gasoline subject to the benzene foreign refiner program must designate each batch of Benzene-FRGAS as such at the time the gasoline is produced, unless the refiner has elected to classify no gasoline exported to the United States as Benzene-FRGAS under paragraph (c)(3) of this section.

(2) On each occasion when any person transfers custody or title to any Benzene-FRGAS prior to its being imported into the United States, it must include the following information as part of the product transfer document information:

(i) Designation of the gasoline as Certified Benzene-FRGAS or as Non-Certified Benzene-FRGAS; and

(ii) The name and EPA refinery registration number of the refinery where the Benzene-FRGAS was produced.

(3) On each occasion when Benzene-FRGAS is loaded onto a vessel or other transportation mode for transport to the United States, the foreign refiner shall prepare a certification for each batch of the Benzene-FRGAS that meets the following requirements.

(i) The certification shall include the report of the independent third party under paragraph (f) of this section, and the following additional information:

(A) The name and EPA registration number of the refinery that produced the Benzene-FRGAS;

(B) The identification of the gasoline as Certified Benzene-FRGAS or Non-Certified Benzene-FRGAS;

(C) The volume of Benzene-FRGAS being transported, in gallons;

(D) In the case of Certified Benzene-FRGAS:

(1) The benzene content as determined under paragraph (f) of this section, and the applicable designations stated in paragraph (d)(2)(i) of this section; and

(2) A declaration that the Benzene-FRGAS is being included in the applicable compliance calculations required by EPA under this subpart.

(ii) The certification shall be made part of the product transfer documents for the Benzene-FRGAS.

(e) Transfers of Benzene-FRGAS to non-United States markets. The foreign refiner is responsible to ensure that all gasoline classified as Benzene-FRGAS is imported into the United States. A foreign refiner may remove the Benzene-FRGAS classification, and the gasoline need not be imported into the United States, but only if:

(1) The foreign refiner excludes:

(i) The volume of gasoline from the refinery's compliance report under §80.1354; and

(ii) In the case of Certified Benzene-FRGAS, the volume of the gasoline from the compliance report under §80.1354.

(2) The foreign refiner obtains sufficient evidence in the form of documentation that the gasoline was not imported into the United States.

(f) Load port independent sampling, testing and refinery identification.

(1) On each occasion that Benzene-FRGAS is loaded onto a vessel for transport to the United States a foreign refiner shall have an independent third party:

(i) Inspect the vessel prior to loading and determine the volume of any tank bottoms;

(ii) Determine the volume of Benzene-FRGAS loaded onto the vessel (exclusive of any tank bottoms before loading);

(iii) Obtain the EPA-assigned registration number of the foreign refinery;

(iv) Determine the name and country of registration of the vessel used to transport the Benzene-FRGAS to the United States; and

(v) Determine the date and time the vessel departs the port serving the foreign refinery.

(2) On each occasion that Certified Benzene-FRGAS is loaded onto a vessel for transport to the United States a foreign refiner shall have an independent third party:

(i) Collect a representative sample of the Certified Benzene-FRGAS from each vessel compartment subsequent to loading on the vessel and prior to departure of the vessel from the port serving the foreign refinery;

(ii) Determine the benzene content value for each compartment using the methodology as specified in §80.46(e) by one of the following:

(A) The third party analyzing each sample; or

(B) The third party observing the foreign refiner analyze the sample;

(iii) Review original documents that reflect movement and storage of the Certified Benzene-FRGAS from the refinery to the load port, and from this review determine:

(A) The refinery at which the Benzene-FRGAS was produced; and

(B) That the Benzene-FRGAS remained segregated from:

(1) Non-Benzene-FRGAS and Non-Certified Benzene-FRGAS; and

(2) Other Certified Benzene-FRGAS produced at a different refinery.

(3) The independent third party shall submit a report:

(i) To the foreign refiner containing the information required under paragraphs (f)(1) and (f)(2) of this section, to accompany the product transfer documents for the vessel; and

(ii) To the Administrator containing the information required under paragraphs (f)(1) and (f)(2) of this section, within thirty days following the date of the independent third party's inspection. This report shall include a description of the method used to determine the identity of the refinery at which the gasoline was produced, assurance that the gasoline remained segregated as specified in paragraph (n)(1) of this section, and a description of the gasoline's movement and storage between production at the source refinery and vessel loading.

(4) The independent third party must:

(i) Be approved in advance by EPA, based on a demonstration of ability to perform the procedures required in this paragraph (f);

(ii) Be independent under the criteria specified in §80.65(f)(2)(iii); and

(iii) Sign a commitment that contains the provisions specified in paragraph (i) of this section with regard to activities, facilities and documents relevant to compliance with the requirements of this paragraph (f).

(g) Comparison of load port and port of entry testing.

(1)

(i) Any foreign refiner and any United States importer of Certified Benzene-FRGAS shall compare the results from the load port testing under paragraph (f) of this section, with the port of entry testing as reported under paragraph (o) of this section, for the volume of gasoline and the benzene content value; except as specified in paragraph (g)(1)(ii) of this section.

(ii) Where a vessel transporting Certified Benzene-FRGAS off loads this gasoline at more than one United States port of entry, and the conditions of paragraph (g)(2)(i) of this section are met at the first United States port of entry, the requirements of paragraph (g)(2) of this section do not apply at subsequent ports of entry if the United States importer obtains a certification from the vessel owner that meets the requirements of paragraph (s) of this section, that the vessel has not loaded any gasoline or blendstock between the first United States port of entry and the subsequent port of entry.

(2)

(i) The requirements of this paragraph (g)(2) apply if—

(A) The temperature-corrected volumes determined at the port of entry and at the load port differ by more than one percent; or

(B) The benzene content value determined at the port of entry is higher than the benzene content value determined at the load port, and the amount of this difference is greater than the reproducibility amount specified for the port of entry test result by the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) for the test method specified at §80.46(e).

(ii) The United States importer and the foreign refiner shall treat the gasoline as Non-Certified Benzene-FRGAS, and the foreign refiner shall exclude the gasoline volume from its gasoline volumes calculations and benzene standard designations under this subpart.

(h) Attest requirements. Refiners, for each annual compliance period, must arrange to have an attest engagement performed of the underlying documentation that forms the basis of any report required under this subpart. The attest engagement must comply with the procedures and requirements that apply to refiners under §§80.125 through 80.130, §80.1356, and other applicable attest engagement provisions, and must be submitted to the Administrator of EPA for the prior annual compliance period within the time period required under §80.130. The following additional procedures shall be carried out for any foreign refiner of Benzene-FRGAS.

(1) The inventory reconciliation analysis under §80.128(b) and the tender analysis under §80.128(c) shall include Non-Benzene-FRGAS.

(2) Obtain separate listings of all tenders of Certified Benzene-FRGAS and of Non-Certified Benzene-FRGAS, and obtain separate listings of Certified Benzene-FRGAS based on whether it is small refiner gasoline, gasoline produced through the use of credits, or other applicable designation under this subpart. Agree the total volume of tenders from the listings to the gasoline inventory reconciliation analysis in §80.128(b), and to the volumes determined by the third party under paragraph (f)(1) of this section.

(3) For each tender under paragraph (h)(2) of this section, where the gasoline is loaded onto a marine vessel, report as a finding the name and country of registration of each vessel, and the volumes of Benzene-FRGAS loaded onto each vessel.

(4) Select a sample from the list of vessels identified in paragraph (h)(3) of this section used to transport Certified Benzene-FRGAS, in accordance with the guidelines in §80.127, and for each vessel selected perform the following:

(i) Obtain the report of the independent third party, under paragraph (f) of this section, and of the United States importer under paragraph (o) of this section.

(A) Agree the information in these reports with regard to vessel identification, gasoline volumes and benzene content test results.

(B) Identify, and report as a finding, each occasion the load port and port of entry benzene content and volume results differ by more than the amounts allowed in paragraph (g) of this section, and determine whether the foreign refiner adjusted its refinery calculations as required in paragraph (g) of this section.

(ii) Obtain the documents used by the independent third party to determine transportation and storage of the Certified Benzene-FRGAS from the refinery to the load port, under paragraph (f) of this section. Obtain tank activity records for any storage tank where the Certified Benzene-FRGAS is stored, and pipeline activity records for any pipeline used to transport the Certified Benzene-FRGAS, prior to being loaded onto the vessel. Use these records to determine whether the Certified Benzene-FRGAS was produced at the refinery that is the subject of the attest engagement, and whether the Certified Benzene-FRGAS was mixed with any Non-Certified Benzene-FRGAS, Non-Benzene-FRGAS, or any Certified Benzene-FRGAS produced at a different refinery.

(5) Select a sample from the list of vessels identified in paragraph (h)(3) of this section used to transport Certified and Non-Certified Benzene-FRGAS, in accordance with the guidelines in §80.127, and for each vessel selected perform the following:

(i) Obtain a commercial document of general circulation that lists vessel arrivals and departures, and that includes the port and date of departure of the vessel, and the port of entry and date of arrival of the vessel.

(ii) Agree the vessel's departure and arrival locations and dates from the independent third party and United States importer reports to the information contained in the commercial document.

(6) Obtain separate listings of all tenders of Non-Benzene-FRGAS, and perform the following:

(i) Agree the total volume and benzene content of tenders from the listings to the gasoline inventory reconciliation analysis in §80.128(b).

(ii) Obtain a separate listing of the tenders under this paragraph (h)(6) where the gasoline is loaded onto a marine vessel. Select a sample from this listing in accordance with the guidelines in §80.127, and obtain a commercial document of general circulation that lists vessel arrivals and departures, and that includes the port and date of departure and the ports and dates where the gasoline was off loaded for the selected vessels. Determine and report as a finding the country where the gasoline was off loaded for each vessel selected.

(7) In order to complete the requirements of this paragraph (h) an auditor shall:

(i) Be independent of the foreign refiner;

(ii) Be licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in the United States and a citizen of the United States, or be approved in advance by EPA based on a demonstration of ability to perform the procedures required in §§80.125 through 80.130 and this paragraph (h); and

(iii) Sign a commitment that contains the provisions specified in paragraph (i) of this section with regard to activities and documents relevant to compliance with the requirements of §§80.125 through 80.130 and this paragraph (h).

(i) Foreign refiner commitments. Any foreign refiner shall commit to and comply with the provisions contained in this paragraph (i) as a condition to being approved as a foreign refiner under this subpart.

(1) Any United States Environmental Protection Agency inspector or auditor must be given full, complete and immediate access to conduct inspections and audits of the foreign refinery.

(i) Inspections and audits may be either announced in advance by EPA, or unannounced.

(ii) Access will be provided to any location where:

(A) Gasoline is produced;

(B) Documents related to refinery operations are kept;

(C) Gasoline or blendstock samples are tested or stored; and

(D) Benzene-FRGAS is stored or transported between the foreign refinery and the United States, including storage tanks, vessels and pipelines.

(iii) Inspections and audits may be by EPA employees or contractors to EPA.

(iv) Any documents requested that are related to matters covered by inspections and audits must be provided to an EPA inspector or auditor on request.

(v) Inspections and audits by EPA may include review and copying of any documents related to:

(A) Refinery baseline establishment, if applicable, including the volume and benzene content of gasoline; transfers of title or custody of any gasoline or blendstocks whether Benzene-FRGAS or Non-Benzene-FRGAS, produced at the foreign refinery during the period January 1, 2004 through December 31, 2005, and any work papers related to refinery baseline establishment;

(B) The volume and benzene content of Benzene-FRGAS;

(C) The proper classification of gasoline as being Benzene-FRGAS or as not being Benzene-FRGAS, or as Certified Benzene-FRGAS or as Non-Certified Benzene-FRGAS, and all other relevant designations under this subpart;

(D) Transfers of title or custody to Benzene-FRGAS;

(E) Sampling and testing of Benzene-FRGAS;

(F) Work performed and reports prepared by independent third parties and by independent auditors under the requirements of this section, including work papers; and

(G) Reports prepared for submission to EPA, and any work papers related to such reports.

(vi) Inspections and audits by EPA may include taking samples of gasoline, gasoline additives or blendstock, and interviewing employees.

(vii) Any employee of the foreign refiner must be made available for interview by the EPA inspector or auditor, on request, within a reasonable time period.

(viii) English language translations of any documents must be provided to an EPA inspector or auditor, on request, within 10 working days.

(ix) English language interpreters must be provided to accompany EPA inspectors and auditors, on request.

(2) An agent for service of process located in the District of Columbia shall be named, and service on this agent constitutes service on the foreign refiner or any employee of the foreign refiner for any action by EPA or otherwise by the United States related to the requirements of this subpart.

(3) The forum for any civil or criminal enforcement action related to the provisions of this section for violations of the Clean Air Act or regulations promulgated thereunder shall be governed by the Clean Air Act, including the EPA administrative forum where allowed under the Clean Air Act.

(4) United States substantive and procedural laws shall apply to any civil or criminal enforcement action against the foreign refiner or any employee of the foreign refiner related to the provisions of this section.

(5) Submitting a petition for participation in the benzene foreign refiner program or producing and exporting gasoline under any such program, and all other actions to comply with the requirements of this subpart relating to participation in any benzene foreign refiner program, or to establish an individual refinery gasoline benzene baseline under this subpart constitute actions or activities covered by and within the meaning of the provisions of 28 U.S.C. 1605(a)(2), but solely with respect to actions instituted against the foreign refiner, its agents and employees in any court or other tribunal in the United States for conduct that violates the requirements applicable to the foreign refiner under this subpart, including conduct that violates the False Statements Accountability Act of 1996 (18 U.S.C. 1001) and section 113(c)(2) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7413).

(6) The foreign refiner, or its agents or employees, will not seek to detain or to impose civil or criminal remedies against EPA inspectors or auditors, whether EPA employees or EPA contractors, for actions performed within the scope of EPA employment related to the provisions of this section.

(7) The commitment required by this paragraph (i) shall be signed by the owner or president of the foreign refiner business.

(8) In any case where Benzene-FRGAS produced at a foreign refinery is stored or transported by another company between the refinery and the vessel that transports the Benzene-FRGAS to the United States, the foreign refiner shall obtain from each such other company a commitment that meets the requirements specified in paragraphs (i)(1) through (7) of this section, and these commitments shall be included in the foreign refiner's petition to participate in any benzene foreign refiner program.

(j) Sovereign immunity. By submitting a petition for participation in any benzene foreign refiner program under this subpart (and baseline, if applicable) under this section, or by producing and exporting gasoline to the United States under any such program, the foreign refiner, and its agents and employees, without exception, become subject to the full operation of the administrative and judicial enforcement powers and provisions of the United States without limitation based on sovereign immunity, with respect to actions instituted against the foreign refiner, its agents and employees in any court or other tribunal in the United States for conduct that violates the requirements applicable to the foreign refiner under this subpart, including conduct that violates the False Statements Accountability Act of 1996 (18 U.S.C. 1001) and section 113(c)(2) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7413).

(k) Bond posting. Any foreign refiner shall meet the requirements of this paragraph (k) as a condition to approval as benzene foreign refiner under this subpart.

(1) The foreign refiner shall post a bond of the amount calculated using the following equation:

Bond = G × $0.01

(2) Bonds shall be posted by:

(i) Paying the amount of the bond to the Treasurer of the United States;

(ii) Obtaining a bond in the proper amount from a third party surety agent that is payable to satisfy United States administrative or judicial judgments against the foreign refiner, provided EPA agrees in advance as to the third party and the nature of the surety agreement; or

(iii) An alternative commitment that results in assets of an appropriate liquidity and value being readily available to the United States, provided EPA agrees in advance as to the alternative commitment.

(3) Bonds posted under this paragraph (k) shall—

(i) Be used to satisfy any judicial judgment that results from an administrative or judicial enforcement action for conduct in violation of this subpart, including where such conduct violates the False Statements Accountability Act of 1996 (18 U.S.C. 1001) and section 113(c)(2) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7413);

(ii) Be provided by a corporate surety that is listed in the United States Department of Treasury Circular 570 “Companies Holding Certificates of Authority as Acceptable Sureties on Federal Bonds”; and

(iii) Include a commitment that the bond will remain in effect for at least five years following the end of latest annual reporting period that the foreign refiner produces gasoline pursuant to the requirements of this subpart.

(4) On any occasion a foreign refiner bond is used to satisfy any judgment, the foreign refiner shall increase the bond to cover the amount used within 90 days of the date the bond is used.

(5) If the bond amount for a foreign refiner increases, the foreign refiner shall increase the bond to cover the shortfall within 90 days of the date the bond amount changes. If the bond amount decreases, the foreign refiner may reduce the amount of the bond beginning 90 days after the date the bond amount changes.

(l) [Reserved]

(m) English language reports. Any report or other document submitted to EPA by a foreign refiner shall be in English language, or shall include an English language translation.

(n) Prohibitions.

(1) No person may combine Certified Benzene-FRGAS with any Non-Certified Benzene-FRGAS or Non-Benzene-FRGAS, and no person may combine Certified Benzene-FRGAS with any Certified Benzene-FRGAS produced at a different refinery, until the importer has met all the requirements of paragraph (o) of this section, except as provided in paragraph (e) of this section.

(2) No foreign refiner or other person may cause another person to commit an action prohibited in paragraph (n)(1) of this section, or that otherwise violates the requirements of this section.

(o) United States importer requirements. Any United States importer shall meet the following requirements:

(1) Each batch of imported gasoline shall be classified by the importer as being Benzene-FRGAS or as Non-Benzene-FRGAS, and each batch classified as Benzene-FRGAS shall be further classified as Certified Benzene-FRGAS or as Non-Certified Benzene-FRGAS.

(2) Gasoline shall be classified as Certified Benzene-FRGAS or as Non-Certified Benzene-FRGAS according to the designation by the foreign refiner if this designation is supported by product transfer documents prepared by the foreign refiner as required in paragraph (d) of this section, unless the gasoline is classified as Non-Certified Benzene-FRGAS under paragraph (g) of this section. Additionally, the importer shall comply with all requirements of this subpart applicable to importers.

(3) For each gasoline batch classified as Benzene-FRGAS, any United States importer shall perform the following procedures.

(i) In the case of both Certified and Non-Certified Benzene-FRGAS, have an independent third party:

(A) Determine the volume of gasoline in the vessel;

(B) Use the foreign refiner's Benzene-FRGAS certification to determine the name and EPA-assigned registration number of the foreign refinery that produced the Benzene-FRGAS;

(C) Determine the name and country of registration of the vessel used to transport the Benzene-FRGAS to the United States; and

(D) Determine the date and time the vessel arrives at the United States port of entry.

(ii) In the case of Certified Benzene-FRGAS, have an independent third party:

(A) Collect a representative sample from each vessel compartment subsequent to the vessel's arrival at the United States port of entry and prior to off loading any gasoline from the vessel;

(B) Obtain the compartment samples; and

(C) Determine the benzene content value of each compartment sample using the methodology specified at §80.46(e) by the third party analyzing the sample or by the third party observing the importer analyze the sample.

(4) Any importer shall submit reports within 30 days following the date any vessel transporting Benzene-FRGAS arrives at the United States port of entry:

(i) To the Administrator containing the information determined under paragraph (o)(3) of this section; and

(ii) To the foreign refiner containing the information determined under paragraph (o)(3)(ii) of this section, and including identification of the port at which the product was offloaded.

(5) Any United States importer shall meet all other requirements of this subpart for any imported gasoline that is not classified as Certified Benzene-FRGAS under paragraph (o)(2) of this section.

(p) Truck imports of Certified Benzene-FRGAS produced at a foreign refinery.

(1) Any refiner whose Certified Benzene-FRGAS is transported into the United States by truck may petition EPA to use alternative procedures to meet the following requirements:

(i) Certification under paragraph (d)(5) of this section;

(ii) Load port and port of entry sampling and testing under paragraphs (f) and (g) of this section;

(iii) Attest under paragraph (h) of this section; and

(iv) Importer testing under paragraph (o)(3) of this section.

(2) These alternative procedures must ensure Certified Benzene-FRGAS remains segregated from Non-Certified Benzene-FRGAS and from Non-Benzene-FRGAS until it is imported into the United States. The petition will be evaluated based on whether it adequately addresses the following:

(i) Provisions for monitoring pipeline shipments, if applicable, from the refinery, that ensure segregation of Certified Benzene-FRGAS from that refinery from all other gasoline;

(ii) Contracts with any terminals and/or pipelines that receive and/or transport Certified Benzene-FRGAS, that prohibit the commingling of Certified Benzene-FRGAS with any of the following:

(A) Other Certified Benzene-FRGAS from other refineries.

(B) All Non-Certified Benzene-FRGAS.

(C) All Non-Benzene-FRGAS;

(iii) Procedures for obtaining and reviewing truck loading records and United States import documents for Certified Benzene-FRGAS to ensure that such gasoline is only loaded into trucks making deliveries to the United States;

(iv) Attest procedures to be conducted annually by an independent third party that review loading records and import documents based on volume reconciliation, or other criteria, to confirm that all Certified Benzene-FRGAS remains segregated throughout the distribution system and is only loaded into trucks for import into the United States.

(3) The petition required by this section must be submitted to EPA along with the application for temporary refiner relief individual refinery benzene standard under this subpart.

(q) Withdrawal or suspension of foreign refiner status. EPA may withdraw or suspend a foreign refiner's benzene baseline or standard approval for a foreign refinery where—

(1) A foreign refiner fails to meet any requirement of this section;

(2) A foreign government fails to allow EPA inspections as provided in paragraph (i)(1) of this section;

(3) A foreign refiner asserts a claim of, or a right to claim, sovereign immunity in an action to enforce the requirements in this subpart; or

(4) A foreign refiner fails to pay a civil or criminal penalty that is not satisfied using the foreign refiner bond specified in paragraph (k) of this section.

(r) Early use of a foreign refiner benzene baseline.

(1) A foreign refiner may begin using an individual refinery benzene baseline under this subpart before EPA has approved the baseline, provided that:

(i) A baseline petition has been submitted as required in paragraph (b) of this section;

(ii) EPA has made a provisional finding that the baseline petition is complete;

(iii) The foreign refiner has made the commitments required in paragraph (i) of this section;

(iv) The persons that will meet the independent third party and independent attest requirements for the foreign refinery have made the commitments required in paragraphs (f)(3)(iii) and (h)(7)(iii) of this section; and

(v) The foreign refiner has met the bond requirements of paragraph (k) of this section.

(2) In any case where a foreign refiner uses an individual refinery baseline before final approval under paragraph (r)(1) of this section, and the foreign refinery baseline values that ultimately are approved by EPA are more stringent than the early baseline values used by the foreign refiner, the foreign refiner shall recalculate its compliance, ab initio, using the baseline values approved by the EPA, and the foreign refiner shall be liable for any resulting violation of the requirements of this subpart.

(s) Additional requirements for petitions, reports and certificates. Any petition for approval to produce gasoline subject to the benzene foreign refiner program, any alternative procedures under paragraph (p) of this section, any report or other submission required by paragraph (c), (f)(2), or (i) of this section, and any certification under paragraph (d)(3) of this section shall be—

(1) Submitted in accordance with procedures specified by the Administrator, including use of any forms that may be specified by the Administrator.

(2) Be signed by the president or owner of the foreign refiner company, or by that person's immediate designee, and shall contain the following declaration: