§ 59.611 - What evaporative emission requirements apply under this subpart?

§ 59.611 What evaporative emission requirements apply under this subpart?

(a) Hydrocarbon emissions from portable fuel containers may not exceed 0.3 grams per gallon per day when measured with the test procedures in §§ 59.650 through 59.653. This procedure measures diurnal venting emissions and permeation emissions.

(b) For the purpose of this section, portable fuel containers include spouts, caps, gaskets, and other parts provided with the container.

(c) The following general requirements also apply for all portable fuel containers subject to the standards of this subpart:

(1) Prohibited controls. The following controls are prohibited:

(i) For anyone to design, manufacture, or install emission control systems so they cause or contribute to an unreasonable risk to public health, welfare, or safety while operating.

(ii) For anyone to design, manufacture, or install emission control systems with features that disable, deactivate, reduce effectiveness, or bypass the emission controls, either actively or passively. However, you may include a vent that the operator can open to bypass emission controls if that vent closes automatically (i.e., without operator involvement). You may include such design features if they operate during emission tests described in subpart F of this part. For example, you may include an integrated or external manually activated device in the portable fuel container's design to temporarily relieve pressure, provided that the device is in place during emission testing and closes automatically when not in use.

(2) Leaks. You must design and manufacture your containers to be free of leaks. This requirement applies when your container is upright, partially inverted, or completely inverted.

(3) Refueling. You are required to design your portable fuel containers to minimize spillage during refueling to the extent practical. This requires that you use good engineering judgment to avoid designs that will make it difficult to refuel typical vehicle and equipment designs without spillage.

(d) Portable fuel containers must meet the standards and requirements specified in this subpart throughout the useful life of the container. The useful life of the container is five years beginning on the date of sale to the ultimate purchaser.

[72 FR 8533, Feb. 26, 2007, as amended at 80 FR 9089, Feb. 19, 2015]