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Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) introduced a bill aimed at encouraging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to temporarily waive requirements to sell reformulated gasoline (RFG) in covered jurisdictions due to excessively high gas prices. Currently, EPA’s temporary RFG waiver authority is tailored to address price spikes when there is a disruption in fuel supply, and does not specifically respond to the disparity in cost between RFG and conventional gasoline.
Since the 1990s, portions of Wisconsin, including large swaths of the Fifth Congressional District, have been required to purchase RFG, which is, and has been, more expensive to purchase than conventional gas.
Under the bill, Governors may seek a renewable six-week waiver from the EPA for the sale of RFG in a portion of their state where its sale is currently mandated. In deciding whether to grant the waiver, the EPA would compare the price of reformulated gasoline to the price of conventional, and evaluate other factors the agency deems appropriate.
Congressman Sensenbrenner: “As Wisconsinites are well aware, the price of gasoline is volatile, and the price at the pump can spike for a multitude of reasons, including global demand and geopolitical issues. I have been an advocate for consumer relief from burdensome fuel regulations for many years. This legislation simply provides temporary relief from the sale of more expensive gasoline based on the economic interests of citizens.”
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