California Air Resources Board

State law requires CARB to adopt procedures to certify and test vapor recovery systems or components for use at gas stations.  CARB staff is currently considering amendments to existing vapor recovery certification and test procedures that include:

1. Revising the in-station diagnostics (ISD) system overpressure alarm criteria, improving and clarifying ISD report content, and providing more options for ISD communication ports, such as USB or Bluetooth, in addition to the currently required RS232 port;
2. Making the nozzle spillage standard more stringent to preserve superior performance achieved by currently certified equipment, and avoid backsliding;
3. Revising Phase I drop tube compliance test procedures to allow for remote fill configurations for gas stations equipped with underground storage tanks;
4. Requiring vapor recovery equipment manufacturers to provide physical samples of the system or components that successfully comply with applicable performance standards or specifications; and
5. Various administrative changes to clarify and improve the certification and test procedures for better regulatory certainty and enforceability.

The purpose of this webpage is to house supporting documentation including draft regulatory text, select technical support documents, and the May 5, 2020 CARB staff public workshop presentation.  All documents contained on this webpage are considered part of the preliminary rulemaking process.  CARB staff plans to present these items for Board consideration during a public hearing in November 2020. There will be opportunity for public comment on the proposed regulatory amendments and supporting documents before and during the Board hearing.