Article 3 - Fuel and Fuel Tanks

California Health and Safety Code — §§ 43830-43835

Sections (8)

Amended by Stats. 1991, Ch. 1194, Sec. 1.

(a)The state board shall establish, by regulation, maximum standards for the volatility of gasoline at or below nine pounds per square inch Reid vapor pressure as determined by the American Society for Testing and Materials, Test D 323-58, or by an appropriate test determined by the state board, for gasoline sold in this state.

(b)The state board, in adopting the regulations, shall give full consideration to topography and climatic conditions and may provide that the standards imposed thereby shall apply in those areas which the state board determines necessary in order to carry out the purposes of this division.

(c)Notwithstanding any other law or regulation, until October 1, 1993, any blend of gasoline of at least 10 percent ethyl alcohol shall not result in a violation of any regulation adopted by the state board pursuant to this section unless the volatility of the gasoline used in the blend exceeds the applicable standard of the state board.

(d)For the purposes of this section, “ethyl alcohol” (also known as ethanol) means fuel that meets all of the following requirements:

(1)It is produced from agricultural commodities, renewable resources, or coal.

(2)It is rendered unsuitable for human consumption at the time of its manufacture or immediately thereafter.

(e)For the purposes of determining the percentage of ethyl alcohol contained in gasoline, the volume of alcohol includes the volume of any denaturant approved for that purpose by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, provided these denaturants do not exceed 5 percent of the volume of alcohol (including denaturants).

(f)From October 1, 1993, to December 31, 1995, inclusive, any blend of gasoline of at least 10 percent ethyl alcohol shall not result in a violation of the Reid vapor pressure standard adopted by the state board pursuant to this section unless it is determined by the state board on the basis of independently verifiable automobile exhaust and evaporative emission tests performed on a representative fleet of automobiles that the blend would result in a net increase in the ozone forming potential of the total emissions, excluding emissions of oxides of nitrogen, when compared to the total emissions, excluding emissions of oxides of nitrogen, from the same automobile fleet using gasoline that meets all applicable specifications for Phase I gasoline established by the state board.

(g)On and after January 1, 1996, any blend of gasoline of at least 10 percent ethyl alcohol shall not result in a violation of the Reid vapor pressure standard adopted by the state board pursuant to this section unless it is determined by the state board on the basis of independently verifiable automobile exhaust and evaporative emission tests performed on a representative fleet of automobiles that the blend would result in a net increase in the ozone forming potential of the total emissions, excluding emissions of oxides of nitrogen, when compared to the total emissions, excluding emissions of oxides of nitrogen, from the same automobile fleet using gasoline that meets all applicable specifications for Phase II gasoline established by the state board.

(h)Notwithstanding subdivisions (f) and (g), at any time that the state board adopts, by regulation, standards specifying acceptable levels for emissions of oxides of nitrogen for all reformulated fuels, any blend of gasoline of at least 10 percent ethyl alcohol that exceeds those levels no longer qualifies for an exemption from the Reid vapor pressure standard established by the state board.

§ 43830.5

Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 118, Sec. 5. (SB 237) Effective January 1, 2026.

Notwithstanding any other law, the Governor shall suspend the regulatory control periods under Section 2262.4 of Title 13 of the California Code of Regulations, during which gasoline exceeding the Reid vapor pressure limits in Title 13, Section 2262 of the California Code of Regulations may not be sold or supplied for use in the state, if the Governor, in consultation with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission and the state board, determines the average retail gasoline price increased substantially or is projected to increase substantially within any 30-day period and a suspension is necessary to protect consumers in the state from extraordinary gasoline price increases and determines, in the Governor’s discretion, that suspension is prudent and unlikely to yield unintended consequences. In

considering whether to suspend the regulatory control periods, as described in this section, the Governor shall consider the air quality effects and options to mitigate those effects, if necessary and subject to available resources.

§ 43830.8

Repealed and added by Stats. 1999, Ch. 813, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2000.

(a)The state board may not adopt any regulation that establishes a specification for motor vehicle fuel unless that regulation, and a multimedia evaluation conducted by affected agencies and coordinated by the state board, are reviewed by the California Environmental Policy Council established pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 71017 of the Public Resources Code.

(b)As used in this section, “multimedia evaluation” means the identification and evaluation of any significant adverse impact on public health or the environment, including air, water, or soil, that may result from the production, use, or disposal of the motor vehicle fuel that may be used to meet the state board’s motor vehicle fuel specifications.

(c)The multimedia evaluation shall be based on the best available scientific data, written comments submitted by any interested person, and information collected by the state board in preparation for rulemaking. At a minimum, the evaluation shall address impacts associated with all the following:

(1)Emissions of air pollutants, including ozone forming compounds, particulate matter, toxic air contaminants, and greenhouse gases.

(2)Contamination of surface water, groundwater, and soil.

(3)Disposal or use of the byproducts and waste materials from the production of the fuel.

(d)The state board shall prepare a written summary of the multimedia evaluation and submit it for peer review in accordance with Section 57004. The state board shall maintain for public inspection, a record of any relevant materials submitted from any state agency and any written public comments received during the multimedia evaluation. The state board shall submit its written summary and the results of the peer review to the California Environmental Policy Council prior to the adoption of the proposed regulation.

(e)The council shall complete its review of the multimedia evaluation within 90 calendar days following notice from the state board that it intends to adopt the regulation. If the council determines that the proposed regulation will cause a significant adverse impact on the public health or the environment, or that alternatives exist that would be less adverse, the council shall recommend alternative measures that the state board or other state agencies may take to reduce the adverse impact on public health or the environment. The council shall make all information relating to its review available to the public.

(f)Within 60 days of receiving notification from the council of a determination of adverse impact, the state board shall adopt revisions to the proposed regulation to avoid or reduce the adverse impact, or the affected agencies shall take appropriate action that will, to the extent feasible, mitigate the adverse impact so that, on balance, there is no adverse impact on public health or the environment.

(g)In coordinating a multimedia evaluation pursuant to subdivision (a), the state board shall consult with other boards and departments within the California Environmental Protection Agency, the State Department of Health Services, the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Department of Food and Agriculture, and other state agencies with responsibility for, or expertise regarding, impacts that could result from the production, use, or disposal of the motor vehicle fuel that may be used to meet the specification.

(h)Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) through (g), inclusive, the state board may, prior to July 1, 2000, adopt a regulation that was formally proposed prior to January 1, 2000, to revise existing specifications for motor vehicle fuel, if the council reviews the environmental assessment of the proposed revision and determines that there will be no significant adverse impact on public health or the environment, including any impact on air, water, or soil, that is likely to result from the change in motor vehicle fuel that is expected to be implemented to meet the state board’s revised motor vehicle fuel specifications. Such a determination by the council shall be deemed final and conclusive.

(i)Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the state board may adopt a regulation that establishes a specification for motor vehicle fuel without the proposed regulation being subject to a multimedia evaluation if the council, following an initial evaluation of the proposed regulation, conclusively determines that the regulation will not have any significant adverse impact on public health or the environment.

§ 43831

Added by Stats. 1975, Ch. 957.

The state board shall establish, by regulation, maximum standards for the degree of unsaturation at a bromine number 30 as established by the American Society for Testing and Materials test D

1159-66, or by an appropriate test determined by the state board, for gasoline sold in the South Coast Air Basin designated by the state board.

The state board, in adopting such regulations, shall give full consideration to climatic conditions and may provide that the maximum standards imposed thereby shall be applicable only during those periods of time which the state board determines necessary in order to carry out the purposes of this division.

§ 43832

Added by Stats. 1975, Ch. 957.

The state board may request, from any person who advertises, or causes to be advertised, in any manner or claim that a fuel or fuel additive reduces motor vehicle exhaust emissions, a report detailing the data which supports the advertiser’s claims of emission reduction by that fuel or fuel additive.

The state board may conduct, and may request the Department of Consumer Affairs to assist the state board in, such further investigation as may appear warranted under the circumstances.

If the state board, or the state board and the Department of Consumer Affairs if the latter has assisted in the investigation, determines that the fuel or fuel additive is not substantially as effective as it is claimed to be in the advertisement for it, the state board shall report the findings to the Attorney General for whatever action under the Business and Professions Code or other law the Attorney General finds appropriate.

§ 43833

Added by Stats. 1975, Ch. 957.

(a)The state board shall establish criteria for the evaluation of the effectiveness of, and may conduct tests respecting the composition or the chemical or physical properties of, any motor vehicle fuel additive sold, or proposed to be sold, in this state. The tests shall be designed to determine whether the additive will reduce or eliminate from vehicular sources any substance found to affect human health or impair the obtainment of the state board’s ambient air quality standards, or whether, in specified fuels, a particular fuel additive would result in a significant and beneficial reduction in vehicular emissions commensurate with the purposes of this division and would not have a deleterious effect upon the operation of any vehicle or any motor vehicle pollution control device which is in general use.

(b)The state board may also engage independent laboratories to conduct such tests under test procedures specified by the state board.

(c)Any manufacturer may apply to the state board to have its additive tested pursuant to subdivision (a). The state board may charge an application fee, not to exceed the cost of such tests, for such applications.

§ 43834

Added by Stats. 1975, Ch. 957.

(a)The state board shall establish standards or criteria for the certification of auxiliary gasoline fuel tank evaporative loss control devices or systems on vehicles which are required, pursuant to this part or the National Emission Standards Act (42 U.S.C., Secs. 1857f-1 to 1857f-7, inclusive), to be equipped with a fuel system evaporative loss control device to prevent as much evaporation of gasoline into the air from auxiliary fuel tanks as is technologically feasible.

(b)For the purpose of this section, and Section 27156.1 of the Vehicle Code, an “auxiliary gasoline fuel tank” is a fuel tank which is designed and intended by its manufacturer for installation on, or which is installed on, a vehicle operating on gasoline and which is connected to the original fuel system, as defined in Section 39032 of this code, but is not a gasoline fuel tank which is added to a certified device on a used vehicle if such certification included the capability of handling evaporation from such a tank.

§ 43835

Added by renumbering Section 39068.7 by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1063.

(a)The state board shall, by March 1, 1976, adopt specifications for the fill pipes and openings of motor vehicle fuel tanks to ensure that the size, design, and location of the fill pipe and opening permit adequate access to and interfacing with gasoline-dispensing nozzles for the purpose of vapor control.

(b)No new 1977 or later model year gasoline-powered motor vehicle may be sold, offered for sale, or registered in this state unless such vehicle is in compliance with the specifications adopted by the state board pursuant to subdivision (a).

The state board may exempt from such specifications those classifications of motor vehicles for which the state board determines the specifications are technologically infeasible.

The state board also may waive the provisions of this subdivision for any 1977 model year gasoline-powered motor vehicle, provided that the state board makes a finding, based upon evidence presented by the manufacturer of such vehicle, that inadequate lead time exists for any required vehicle redesign. The state board may make such waiver applicable only to specified body styles of such a vehicle.