§79.54. Tier 3. — Inbound Citations

(1) All manufacturers of fuels and fuel additives that are designated for registration under this part are required to comply with the requirements of subpart F of this part either on an individual basis or as a participant in a group of manufacturers of the same or similar fuels and fuel additives, as defined in § 79.56. If manufacturers elect to comply by participation in a group, each manufacturer continues to be individually subject to the requirements of subpart F of this part, and responsible for testing under this subpart. Each manufacturer, subject to the provisions for group applications in § 79.51(b) and the special provisions in § 79.58, shall submit all Tier 1 and Tier 2 information required by §§ 79.52, 79.53 and 79.59 for each fuel or additive, except that the Tier 1 emission characterization requirements in § 79.52(b) and/or the Tier 2 testing requirements in § 79.53 may be satisfied by adequate existing information pursuant to the Tier 1 literature search requirements in § 79.52(d). The adequacy of existing information to serve in compliance with specific Tier 1 and/or Tier 2 requirements shall be determined according to the criteria and procedures specified in §§ 79.52(b) and 79.53 (c) and (d). In all cases, EPA reserves the right to require, based upon the information contained in the application or any other information available to the Agency, that manufacturers conduct additional testing of any fuel or additive (or fuel/additive group) if EPA determines that there is inadequate information upon which to base regulatory decisions for such product(s). In any case where EPA determines that the requirements of Tiers 1 and 2 have been satisfied but that further testing is required, the provisions of Tier 3 (§ 79.54) shall apply.

(a) Manufacturers of fuels and fuel additives are allowed to satisfy the testing requirements in §§ 79.52, 79.53, and 79.54 and the associated reporting requirements in § 79.59 on an individual or group basis, provided that such products meet the criteria in this section for enrollment in the same fuel/additive group. However, each manufacturer of a fuel or fuel additive must individually comply with the notification requirements of § 79.59(b). Further, if a manufacturer elects to comply by participation in a group, each manufacturer continues to be individually subject to the information requirements of this subpart.

(1) No manufacturer is prohibited from testing and submitting its own data for its own product registration, despite its qualification for membership in a particular group.

This section specifies the equipment and procedures that must be used in generating the emissions which are to be subjected to the characterization procedures and/or the biological tests specified in §§ 79.52(b) and 79.53 of these regulations. When applicable, they may also be required in conjunction with testing under §§ 79.54 and 79.58(c). Additional requirements concerning emission generation, delivery, dilution, quality control, and safety practices are outlined in § 79.61.

(b) Fuels which are not designated as “evaporative fuels” and fuel additives which are not designated as “evaporative fuel additives” pursuant to the definitions in § 79.50 need not undergo the emission characterization or health effects testing specified in §§ 79.52 and 79.53 for evaporative emissions. At EPA's discretion, the evaporative emissions of such fuels and additives may be required to undergo Tier 3 testing, pursuant to § 79.54.

(3) The information specified in paragraph (d) of this section shall be submitted to EPA at the address in paragraph (a)(1) of this section at the conclusion of activities performed in compliance with Tier 3 under the provisions of § 79.54.

(iv) In the event that Tier 3 testing is also required (under § 79.54), EPA shall determine an appropriate timeline for completion of the additional requirements and shall communicate this schedule to the manufacturer according to the provisions of § 79.54(b).