legislation: 106-s-2971
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| bill_id | congress | bill_type | bill_number | title | policy_area | introduced_date | latest_action_date | latest_action_text | origin_chamber | sponsor_name | sponsor_state | sponsor_party | sponsor_bioguide_id | cosponsor_count | summary_text | update_date | url |
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| 106-s-2971 | 106 | s | 2971 | Clean and Renewable Fuels Act of 2000 | Environmental Protection | 2000-07-27 | 2000-07-27 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. | Senate | Sen. Harkin, Tom [D-IA] | IA | D | H000206 | 0 | Clean and Renewable Fuels Act of 2000 - Amends the Clean Air Act (CAA) to prohibit, effective January 1, 2001, a person from selling or dispensing to ultimate consumers any fuel or fuel additive containing methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) in the United States other than in specified nonattainment areas required to meet the oxygen content requirement for reformulated gasoline and in which MTBE was used to meet such requirement before January 1, 2000. Provides for phased reductions in the use of MTBE in fuel or fuel additives and for a trading program to allow persons to sell and purchase authorizations to sell or dispense MTBE. Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promulgate regulations to require persons selling or dispensing gasoline that contains MTBE to label gasoline dispensing systems with a notice stating that the gasoline contains MTBE and that provides information concerning health and environmental risks.Prohibits, effective three years after this Act's enactment date, the manufacture, introduction into commerce, sale, or dispensing of a fuel or fuel additive containing MTBE or any other ether compound. Permits the Administrator to waive such prohibition with respect to an ether compound other than MTBE if the use of the compound will not pose a significant risk to human health or the environment.Authorizes the Administrator, if MTBE is contaminating or posing a substantial risk of contamination of soil, groundwater, or surface water in an area, to take necessary action to protect human health and the environment, including requiring a more rapid reduction (or immediate termination) of the quantity of MTBE sold or dispensed in a fuel or fuel additive in the area. Permits States to impose restrictions or prohibitions on the sale or use of MTBE as appropriate to protect human health and the environment.Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to require the EPA Administrator to develop technical guidelines to assist in the investigation and cleanup of MTBE in soil or groundwater. Authorizes the Administrator to enter into cooperative agreements with interested parties to establish voluntary pilot projects for the cleanup of MTBE and the protection of private wells from MTBE and provide technical assistance in carrying out such projects.Requires the Administrator to amend certain guidance to require State source water assessment programs to be revised to give high priority to groundwater areas and aquifers that have been contaminated, or are most vulnerable to contamination, by MTBE.(Sec. 3) Amends the CAA to require the Administrator to promulgate regulations that establish a procedure for submission of petitions for: (1) a waiver for an area of any per-gallon oxygen content requirement for reformulated gasoline; and (2) averaging of such requirement over a period of time of up to one year. Directs the Administrator to grant such a petition if necessary to: (1) avoid a shortage or disruption in supply of reformulated gasoline; (2) avoid the payment by consumers of excessive prices for such gasoline; or (3) facilitate the attainment by an area of a national primary ambient air quality standard. Requires the regulations to ensure that the human health and environmental benefits of reformulated gasoline are maintained during the period of any waiver.Permits the Administrator, if the Secretary of Energy finds that there is an insufficient domestic supply of oxygenates to meet the oxygen content requirement and upon State petition, to promulgate regulations temporarily reducing or waiving such requirement for an area to ensure an adequate supply of reformulated gasoline. Requires such regulations to ensure that the human health and environmental benefits of reformulated gasoline are maintained during the period of the temporary reduction in the oxygen content requirement.(Sec. 4) Limits the aromatic hydrocarbon content of reformulated gasoline to 22 (currently, 25) percent by volume. Prohibits the average aromatic hydrocarbon content of such gasoline from exceeding the average aromatic hydrocarbon content of such gasoline sold in covered areas (specified ozone nonattainment areas where the use of such gasoline is required) for use in baseline vehicles when using such gasoline during 1999 or 2000. Limits the maximum aromatic hydrocarbon content per gallon of reformulated gasoline to 30 percent.Limits the olefin content of reformulated gasoline to eight percent by volume. Bars the average olefin content of reformulated gasoline from exceeding the average olefin content of such gasoline sold in covered areas for use in baseline vehicles when using such gasoline during 1999 or 2000. Limits the maximum olefin content per gallon of reformulated gasoline to ten percent.(Sec. 5) Applies certain limitations on emissions of toxic air pollutants from baseline vehicles using reformulated gasoline to precursors of such pollutants as well.(Sec. 6) Requires the Administrator to revise performance standards regarding reformulated gasoline to ensure that: (1) the ozone-forming potential, taking into account all ozone precursors, of the aggregate emissions during the high ozone season from baseline vehicles when using reformulated gasoline does not exceed such potential of the emissions from such vehicles when using reformulated gasoline that complies with regulations that were in effect on January 1, 2000, and applicable to such gasoline sold in 2000 and subsequent calendar years; and (2) the aggregate emissions of specified pollutants or their precursors, including toxic air pollutants, from such vehicles when using such gasoline do not exceed such emissions from such vehicles when using reformulated gasoline that complies with the regulations described in (1).Provides for adjustments to the performance standard for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to account for emissions of carbon monoxide that are greater or less than a specified baseline for emissions achieved by reformulated gasoline containing two percent oxygen by weight and meeting other performance standards.Requires the Administrator to revise performance standards by redefining "baseline vehicles" to mean vehicles representative of vehicles (including off-road vehicles) in use as of January 1, 2000.(Sec. 8) Requires the Administrator, upon the application of a State Governor, to apply prohibitions on the sale of conventional gasoline in covered areas (areas requiring the use of reformulated gasoline), to any nonclassified areas (opt- in areas).(Sec. 9) Changes references to calendar year 1990 to 1999 or 2000 (whenever lower emissions occurred) in reformulated gasoline provisions concerning anti-dumping. Adds particulate matter, fine particulate matter, and precursor pollutants to the list of pollutants to which emissions limitations under such provisions apply. Updates the baseline from 1990 to 1999 or 2000 for purposes of such provisions.Requires the Administrator to promulgate regulations applicable to gasoline refiners, blenders, or importers to ensure that gasoline sold or introduced into commerce (other than reformulated gasoline) does not have an aromatic hydrocarbon or olefin content exceeding the content of gasoline sold or introduced into commerce in 1999 or 2000, in whichever occurred the lower of such content.(Sec. 10) Directs the Administrator to promulgate regulations for gasoline renewable source content requirements applicable to refiners, blenders, or importers. Increases such requirement annually to require a content of 1.3 percent in 2000 and 4.2 percent by 2010 and thereafter. Provides for credits for persons who refine, blend, or import gasoline that contains a quantity of fuel derived from such sources that exceeds applicable requirements. Authorizes the use or transfer of such credits for compliance purposes. Allows the Administrator to promulgate regulations governing such credits to prevent excessive geographical concentration in the use of fuel derived from renewable sources that would tend unduly to: (1) affect its price, supply, or distribution; (2) impede the development of the renewable fuels industry; or (3) otherwise interfere with this section's purposes.Permits the Administrator to waive renewable source content requirements with respect to an area on petition by a State and upon determining that: (1) implementation of the requirements would severely harm the area's economy or environment or there is an inadequate domestic supply or distribution capacity to meet such requirements; and (2) use of the credit program would not alleviate circumstances on which the petition is based. Terminates waivers on the earlier of the date on which the reason for the waiver no longer exists or one year after it is granted but authorizes renewals.Directs the Administrator to report to Congress on reductions in emissions of criteria air pollutants listed under the Act and greenhouse gases that result from implementation of renewable source content requirements and on the impact of such requirements on demand for materials for producing renewable source fuels, adequacy of food and feed supplies, rural economic growth, and energy security.Requires the Administrator to promulgate renewable source content regulations applicable to diesel fuel and to establish a renewable source content program for diesel similar to the program for gasoline.Amends Federal highway provisions to provide that for purposes of determining the estimated tax payments attributable to highway users paid into the Highway Trust Fund, the amount paid into the Fund with respect to the sale of gasohol or other fuels containing alcohol by reason of taxes imposed on special fuels or gasoline shall be treated as equal to the amount that would have been imposed without regard to the reduction in revenues resulting from renewable source content regulations under the Clean Air Act, certain other regulations under the Toxic Substances Control Act, and specified Internal Revenue Code provisions concerning alcohol fuels. | 2025-08-20T14:19:13Z |