Fuel Containers - Innovative Technology for Fuel Transfer

This page last reviewed October 4, 2010


Background:


The California Air Resources Board (ARB) was created to promote and protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through the effective and efficient reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering the effects on the economy of the State.

To achieve this goal, ARB has been actively controlling reactive organic gasses (ROG) from vapor recovery equipment and facilities, small off-road engines, consumer products, and other related equipment and devices used to transfer, store, and dispense fuel since the late nineteen nineties.

An ongoing element used to achieve reductions of hydrocarbon emissions associated with the transportation, distribution and use of gasoline is our Technology Transfer Program (TTP). The TTP promotes the use of technology that is proven to work in one source category to another similar category. There are emission reduction technologies and practices that are currently in use in several different source categories that may be transferrable to other categories and practices.

The TTP employed by ARB to reduce ROG from dispensing, storing, and fueling equipment with gasoline has reduced ROG emissions by nearly 150 tons per day (tpd) to date and is projected to further reduce ROG emissions by another 50 tpd or more over the next few years. The TTP has been especially effective in reducing emissions from permeation, evaporation, and liquid leaks. However, the TTP has not been as effective in reducing emissions from spillage and displaced vapors.

Transferring fuel from Gasoline Dispensing Facilities (GDF) to Portable Fuel Containers (PFC) and other fueling systems (fuel containers), to fuel Small Off-Road Engines (SORE) results in spillage and displaced vapors that are currently not well controlled.

ARB staff are now exploring an Innovative Technology for Fuel Transfer Program which would require, for the first time, the cooperation and long term planning of both the manufacturers of PFCs and other intermediate fuel storage and fueling equipment, and the manufacturers of SORE equipment.

ARB staff facilitated a conference call meeting with several stakeholders to discuss various aspects of the TTP.  For further information please contact:

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