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Descriptions of Stage I and Stage II
The federal Clean Air Act includes several program requirements
for areas not meeting the national ambient air quality standards.
The Act requires each state to develop and implement a State
Implementation Plan (SIP). The SIPs include descriptions of
control strategies, or measures to deal with pollution. Stage I and
Stage II are two strategies helping Texas achieve its goals for air
quality.
Stage I vapor recovery is a control strategy to capture gasoline
vapors that are released when gasoline is delivered to a storage
tank. The vapors are returned to the tank truck as the storage tank
is being filled with fuel, rather than released to the ambient
air.
Stage II is the control strategy that captures gasoline vapors
when a vehicle is being fueled at the pump. The vapors are returned
through the pump hose to the petroleum storage tank instead of
being released into the air. On some vehicles, Stage II
vapor-recovery systems help capture up to 95 percent of harmful
gasoline vapors that may otherwise be released to the
atmosphere.
April 1, 2007,
Deadline for Compatible ORVR Equipment
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Facilities that have Stage II vapor recovery systems which were
installed before April 1, 2005 must have their equipment upgraded
to an ORVR compatible system as required by Rule
115.249(c)(2).
Failure to comply with this rule may result in a Notice of
Violation. Failure to correct the violation within 30
days will result in a Notice of Enforcement. This type of violation
could include penalties up to $10,000 per day.
Stage I
Requirements
Stage I is required in covered attainment counties by the
Texas Administrative Code: 30 TAC 115.10(9) at facilities
dispensing more than 125,000 gallons of gasoline a month.
Facilities dispensing more than 25,000 gallons of gasoline a
month and located in either the Austin Early Action Compact
Area (Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson Counties)
or the San Antonio San
Antonio Early Action Compact Area (Bexar, Comal, Guadalupe, and
Wilson Counties) were required to have Stage I equipment installed
no later than December 31, 2005.
Facilities dispensing more than 10,000 gallons of gasoline per
month and located in Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, or Rockwall
County must have Stage I equipment installed no later than June 15,
2007.
Stage II Requirements
Gasoline-dispensing facilities located in the 16 counties in
these ozone nonattainment areas—
Houston-Galveston Area: Brazoria, Chambers,
Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, and Waller
counties;
Beaumont–Port Arthur Area: Hardin,
Jefferson, and Orange counties;
El Paso Area: El Paso County;
Dallas–Fort Worth Area: Collin, Dallas,
Denton, and Tarrant counties
—must be equipped with Stage I and Stage II vapor-recovery
equipment to control emissions of volatile organic compounds. These
facilities must comply with annual testing procedures, proper
operation and maintenance and other
training requirements.
Current
Stage I and
Stage II rules.
All new installations of Stage II equipment after April 1, 2005,
must be Onboard Refueling and Vapor Recovery compatible
[see RULE §115.240 (a) (3)]. All existing Stage II
installations must be ORVR compatible by April 1, 2007.
Swivel adapters must have been installed by July 1, 2004. See
TCEQ's Bulletin to Owners and Operators of Gasoline Dispensing
Facilities for a list of approved adapters.
Training: Gas Station Stage II Vapor Recovery
Representatives
Stage II Tester Documents
Stage I and II Texas Tested Equipment Approvals
Stage II Exemptions
Some facilities may be exempt from the rules if they meet
specific criteria as specified in rules.
Vapor Recovery Test Procedures Handbook: Corrections
and Clarifications
Procedures for Vapor-Recovery Testing
Proper procedures for vapor-recovery testing can be found in the
Vapor Recovery Test Procedures Handbook (see also the
preceding links for corrections and clarifications). All tests, to
be considered valid, must be conducted either by a TCEQ listed
tester or in the presence of a TCEQ inspector. The following
forms should be used for test notification and reporting:
-
TCEQ 10501—Stage II Vapor Recovery Pre-Test Notification
Form
-
TCEQ 10502—Vapor Recovery Test Result Cover Sheet
-
TCEQ 10503 (TXP-101)—Vapor Space Manifolding Test Report
and Facility Layout Form
-
TCEQ 10504—Pressure Decay Test Data
-
TCEQ 10505 (TXP-102)—Pressure Gauge Calibration Form
-
TCEQ 10506 (TXP-103-1)—Dynamic Back-Pressure Data: Nozzle
Method
-
TCEQ 10507 (TXP-103-2)—Dynamic Back-Pressure Data: Vapor
Piping Method
-
TCEQ 10508 (TXP-104)—Gasoline Flow Rate Performance
Data
-
TCEQ 10509 (TXP-105)—Liquid Removal Device Performance
Data
-
TCEQ 10510 (TXP-106-1)—Vapor to Liquid Ratio Data (Also
used to report A/L data from CARB TP-201.5)
-
TCEQ 10511 (TXP-106-2)—Air to Liquid Ratio Data for
Hasstech Testing Equipment
-
TCEQ 10512 (TXP-107)—Determination of Healy Booted Nozzle
Operation
- Stage II Vapor Recovery A/L Test
(TXP-106) Reference Tables
Fugitive Emissions and Motor Vehicle Refueling Observation
Study
TCEQ staff conducted a study using an infrared camera to observe
emissions from a variety of potential sources at a gasoline
dispensing facility.
