The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has expanded its waiver of the 7.8 psi Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) standard to cover all of the 95 counties in Eastern Texas that are subject to the Texas low-volatility gasoline program in the federally-enforceable State Implementation Plan (SIP). 
 
The following 95 counties are included in the program: Anderson, Angelina, Aransas, Atascosa, Austin, Bastrop, Bee, Bell, Bexar, Bosque, Bowie, Brazos, Burleson, Caldwell, Calhoun, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Colorado, Comal, Cooke, Coryell, De Witt, Delta, Ellis, Falls, Fannin, Fayette, Franklin, Freestone, Goliad, Gonzales, Grayson, Gregg, Grimes, Guadalupe, Harrison, Hays, Henderson, Hill, Hood, Hopkins, Houston, Hunt, Jackson, Jasper, Johnson, Karnes, Kaufman, Lamar, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Limestone, Live Oak, Madison, Marion, Matagorda, McLennan, Milam, Morris, Nacogdoches, Navarro, Newton, Nueces, Panola, Parker, Polk, Rains, Red River, Refugio, Robertson, Rockwall, Rusk, Sabine, San Jacinto, San Patricio, San Augustine, Shelby, Judge Smith, Somervell, Titus, Travis, Trinity, Tyler, Upshur, Van Zandt, Victoria, Walker, Washington, Wharton, Williamson, Wilson, Wise, and Wood Counties.
 
The waiver of the RVP requirements is effective immediately and will continue through September 15, 2017.  Under this temporary waiver, regulated parties may sell or distribute gasoline with a maximum RVP of 9.0 psi (10.0 psi if the gasoline ethanol blend contains up to 10% ethanol) in the Eastern Texas SIP RVP Counties and in Jefferson, Orange, and Hardin Counties.
 
Gasoline that does not meet the 7.8 psi RVP requirements that apply in the Eastern Texas SIP RVP Counties may not be introduced into terminal storage tanks from which gasoline is dispensed into trucks for distribution to retail outlets after September 15, 2017.  Any gasoline meeting the conditions of the waiver that is stored in terminal storage tanks for distribution to retail outlets and wholesale purchaser-consumers in these areas on September 15, 2017, may be distributed and sold in the Eastern Texas SIP RVP Counties until the supply is depleted.  Likewise, retailers and wholesale purchaser-consumers in these areas may continue selling or dispensing gasoline meeting the conditions of the waiver after September 15, 2017, until their supplies are depleted.

On August 26, 2017, Governor Greg Abbot expanded his state disaster declaration to include 20 additional Texas counties in response to damage caused by Hurricane Harvey. These counties include: Atascosa, Bexar, Brazos, Caldwell, Cameron, Comal, Grimes, Guadalupe, Hardin, Jasper, Kerr, Lee, Leon, Madison, Montgomery, Newton, Tyler, Walker, Washington, and Willacy.

"The addition of these counties to the state disaster declaration will continue to allow Texas to quickly deploy all available resources to those affected by this devastating storm," said Governor Abbott. "Hurricane Harvey has had a catastrophic impact on Texans and their property, and this declaration will help them rebuild and recover. The state will continue to provide as much aid as possible to these communities that have already lost so much."