National Petroleum News (NPN) has been the independent voice of the petroleum industry since 1909 as the opposition to Rockefeller’s Standard Oil. So, motor fuels marketing and retail is not just a sideline for us, it’s our core competency.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/121500
MARKETING & SUPPLY BY SHElDONRIPSON AND KEiTHREID More states allow fuel marketers to remove systems the EPA called "less cost-effective" FUEL MARKETERS CONSIDER OPTIONS FOR DECOMMISSIONING STAGE II VAPOR RECOVERY SYSTEMS S Stage II Vapor recovery systems can be decommissioned with Husky Corporation's EZ Connect. Includes adaptor, whip hose, break-away, fuel hose, swivel, and nozzle. 16 APril 2013 ince 1994, gasoline retailers in clean Air Act nonattainment areas have been required to use Stage II vapor recovery systems to address vapor loss at the dispenser nozzle. This built on Stage I requirements that addressed vapor issues with the fuel drop. In addition, since 1998 automobiles have been installing onboard refueling vapor recovery—or ORVR—aimed at accomplishing the same purpose. Since 2006, all new automobiles and light trucks are equipped with these systems. Two types of Stage II systems are in place across the United States. Vapor Balance systems are characterized by the large bellows attached to the fuel nozzle. The other Stage II system, Vacuum Assist, has a smaller vapor collector on the nozzle paired with a vacuum pump that pulls gasoline vapor back to the underground storage tank. Balance systems can be more efficient and less expensive (and work well with ORVR), but tend to have limited hose lengths. Currently, the installed base is roughly split between the two technologies. The EPA announced in 2012 it will waive its Stage II vapor recovery requirements in approximately 40 ozone nonattainment areas and 13 ozone transport regions. The agency determined ORVR was widespread in the highway motor vehicle fleet and effective at capturing vapors evacuated from the gasoline tank. The widespread use designation was made after EPA determined more than 75 percent of gasoline is dispensed into vehicles that have ORVR systems. "By waiving the Stage II requirement, EPA is reducing regulatory burdens on the gasoline service station industry," the agency wrote in its fact sheet regarding the ruling. "Essentially, the EPA believes vapor collection at the pump is no longer required because it is being sufficiently addressed by the ORVR systems in vehicles. So Stage II is effectively obsolete," said Brad Baker, executive vice president at Husky Corporation, which manufactures fuel nozzles, hoses, breakaways and accessories. Husky Corporation offers a preassembled and fully tested set of hanging hardware allowing fuel marketers to replace their Stage II equipment. The EZ Connect package includes an adapter (to plug the vapor recovery line at the dispenser), whip hose, breakaway, fuel hose, swivel, and nozzle. The agency estimated potential national cost savings for facilities that decommission Stage II systems at more than $91 million. That amounts to recurring savings of about $3,000 per year for 30,600 dispensing facilities outside California with Stage II equipment. "Many of our customers throughout New England have been jumping at the opportunity to decommission their Stage II systems," said Burnie Gaff, president and CEO of Gaftek, one of New England's largest petroleum installation contractors and service providers. "Not only are Stage II components more expensive to maintain, they are more cumbersome to use by the customer. They are more bulky and are certainly less flexible than their conventional equivalent." The EPA ruling does not mean all fuel marketers are free to eliminate their Stage II systems. States NPN Magazine n www.npnweb.com