(a) Sample and test each batch of gasoline.

(1) Refiners and importers shall collect a representative sample from each batch of gasoline produced or imported and test each sample to determine its sulfur content for compliance with requirements under this subpart prior to the gasoline leaving the refinery or import facility, using the sampling and testing methods provided in this section.

(2) Except as provided in paragraph (a)(3) of this section, the requirements of this section apply beginning January 1, 2004, or January 1 of the first year of allotment or credit generation under §80.275 or §80.305, whichever is earlier.

(3) Prior to January 1, 2004:

(i) Any refiner may release gasoline from the refinery prior to obtaining the test results required under paragraph (a)(1) of this section.

(ii) Any refiner of conventional gasoline may combine samples of gasoline from more than one batch of gasoline or blendstock prior to analysis and treat such composite sample as one batch of gasoline or blendstock pursuant to the requirements of §80.101(i)(2).

(4)

(i) Beginning January 1, 2004, any refiner who produces gasoline using computer-controlled in-line blending equipment is exempt from the requirement of paragraph (a)(1) of this section to obtain the test results required under paragraph (a)(1) of this section prior to the gasoline leaving the refinery, provided that the refiner obtains an exemption from this requirement from EPA. To obtain such exemption, the refiner must:

(A) Have been granted an in-line blending exemption under §80.65(f)(4); or

(B) If the refiner has not been granted an exemption under §80.65(f)(4), submit to EPA all of the information required under §80.65(f)(4)(i)(A). A letter signed by the president, chief operating or chief executive officer of the company, or his/her designee, stating that the information contained in the submission is true to the best of his/her belief must accompany any submission under this paragraph (a)(4)(i)(B).

(ii) Refiners who seek an exemption under paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section must comply with any request by EPA for additional information or any other requirements that EPA includes as part of the exemption.

(iii) Within 60 days of EPA's receipt of a submission under paragraph (a)(4)(i)(B) of this section, EPA will notify the refiner if the exemption is not approved or of any deficiencies in the refiner's submission, or if any additional information is required or other requirements are included in the exemption pursuant to paragraph (a)(4)(ii) of this section. In the absence of such notification from EPA, the effective date of an exemption under paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section for refiners who do not hold an exemption under §80.65(f)(4) is 60 days from EPA's receipt of the refiner's submission under paragraph (a)(4)(i)(B) of this section.

(iv) EPA reserves the right to modify the requirements of an exemption under paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section, in whole or in part, at any time, if EPA determines that the refiner's operation does not effectively or adequately control, monitor or document the sulfur content of the refinery's gasoline production, or if EPA determines that any other circumstances exist which merit modification of the requirements of an exemption, such as advancements in the state of the art for in-line blending measurement which allow for additional control or more accurate monitoring or documentation of sulfur content. If EPA finds that a refiner provided false or inaccurate information in any submission required for an exemption under this section, upon notification from EPA, the refiner's exemption will be void ab initio.

(b) Sampling methods. For purposes of paragraph (a) of this section, refiners and importers shall sample each batch of gasoline by using one of the following methods:

(1) Manual sampling of tanks and pipelines shall be performed according to the applicable procedures specified in one of the two following methods:

(i) ASTM D4057.

(ii) Samples collected under the applicable procedures in ASTM D5842 may be used for measuring sulfur content if there is no contamination present that could affect the sulfur test result.

(2) Automatic sampling of petroleum products in pipelines shall be performed according to the applicable procedures specified in ASTM D4177.

(c) Test method for measuring sulfur content of gasoline.

(1) For purposes of paragraph (a) of this section, refiners and importers shall use the method provided in §80.46(a)(1) or one of the alternative test methods listed in §80.46(a)(3) to measure the sulfur content of gasoline they produce or import through December 31, 2015. Beginning January 1, 2016, for purposes of paragraph (a) of this section, refiners and importers shall use an approved method in §80.47.

(2) Except as provided in §80.350 and in paragraph (c)(1) of this section, any ASTM sulfur test method for liquefied fuels may be used for quality assurance testing under §80.400, or to determine whether gasoline qualifies for a S-RGAS downstream standard, if the protocols of the ASTM method are followed and the alternative method is correlated to the method provided in §80.46(a)(1).

(d) Test method for sulfur in butane.

(1) Refiners and importers shall use the method provided in §80.46(a)(2) through December 31, 2015 to measure the sulfur content of butane when the butane constitutes a batch of gasoline. Beginning January 1, 2016, refiners and importers shall use an approved method in §80.47 to measure the sulfur content of butane when the butane constitutes a batch of gasoline.

(2) Except as provided in paragraph (d)(1) of this section, any ASTM sulfur test method for gaseous fuels may be used for quality assurance testing under §§80.340(b)(4) and 80.400, if the protocols of the ASTM method are followed and the alternative test method is correlated to the method provided in §80.46(a)(2) through December 31, 2015, or in §80.47 beginning January 1, 2016.

(e) Materials incorporated by reference. The published materials identified in this section are incorporated by reference into this section with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. To enforce any edition other than that specified in this section, a document must be published in the Federal Register and the material must be available to the public. All approved materials are available for inspection at the Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center (Air Docket) in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC) at Rm. 3334, EPA West Bldg., 1301 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC Public Reading Room hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number of the EPA/DC Public Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the Air Docket is (202) 566-1742. These approved materials are also available for inspection at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call (202) 741-6030 or go to http://www.archives.gov/federal__register/code__of__federal__regulations/ibr__locations.html. In addition, these materials are available from the sources listed below.

(1) ASTM International material. The following standards are available from ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Dr., P.O. Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, (877) 909-ASTM, or http://www.astm.org:

(i) ASTM D4057-12, Standard Practice for Manual Sampling of Petroleum and Petroleum Products, approved December 1, 2012 (“ASTM D4057”).

(ii) ASTM D4177-95 (Reapproved 2010), Standard Practice for Automatic Sampling of Petroleum and Petroleum Products, approved May 1, 2010 (“ASTM D4177”).

(iii) ASTM D5842-14, Standard Practice for Sampling and Handling of Fuels for Volatility Measurement, approved January 15, 2014 (“ASTM D5842”).

(2) [Reserved]

[65 FR 6823, Feb. 10, 2000, as amended at 66 FR 19308, Apr. 13, 2001; 68 FR 57820, Oct. 7, 2003; 79 FR 23652, Apr. 28, 2014; 80 FR 9095, Feb. 19, 2015]