Proposed Amended Rule 461 – Gasoline Storage and Dispensing
Summary
SCH Number
2026090254
Public Agency
South Coast Air Quality Management District
Document Title
Proposed Amended Rule 461 – Gasoline Storage and Dispensing
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
9/4/2026
Document Description
Rule 461 was adopted to control emissions of volatile organic compounds and toxic air contaminants from gasoline dispensing facilities. Rule 461 currently has an alternative compliance option which allows operators of non-retail gasoline dispensing facilities (GDFs) to dispense gasoline into motor vehicles without requiring the use of California Air Resources Board-certified Phase II Enhanced Vapor Recovery systems, provided that the motor vehicles are equipped with Onboard Refueling Vapor Recovery (ORVR) systems and are owned or directly controlled by the facility operator. Proposed Amended Rule (PAR) 461 will streamline recordkeeping requirements for operators of non-retail GDFs whose fleets consist exclusively of ORVR-equipped motor vehicles by adding an option to allow documentation of total daily fuel dispensing quantities in aggregate, in lieu of the current requirement to record the amount of fuel dispensed on a per vehicle basis. PAR 461 will also include an editorial correction and remove an outdated provision which has been superseded by state reporting requirements. While no emission reductions are expected, increasing the options available in PAR 461 for fleet operators to demonstrate compliance with the recordkeeping provisions will benefit stakeholders by providing flexibility and improved clarity for implementing the applicable requirements while reducing the administrative workload.
Contact Information
Name
Sina Taghvaee
Agency Name
South Coast AQMD
Job Title
Air Quality Specialist
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Name
Jennifer Wang
Agency Name
South Coast AQMD
Job Title
Air Quality Specialist
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Counties
Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino
Regions
Southern California
Other Information
The proposed project is located within the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s (South Coast AQMD) jurisdiction, which includes the four-county South Coast Air Basin (all of Orange County and the non-desert portions of Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties), and the Riverside County portion of the Salton Sea Air Basin and the non-Palo Verde, Riverside County portion of the Mojave Desert Air Basin.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Other
Type, Section or Code
15061(b)(3)
Reasons for Exemption
South Coast AQMD, as Lead Agency, has reviewed the proposed project (PAR 461) pursuant to: 1) CEQA Guidelines Section 15002(k) – General Concepts, the three-step process for deciding which document to prepare for a project subject to CEQA; and 2) CEQA Guidelines Section 15061 – Review for Exemption, procedures for determining if a project is exempt from CEQA. Because the proposed project provides a new recordkeeping option and contains other clarifications and administrative changes without requiring physical modifications, it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that implementation of PAR 461 may have a significant adverse effect on the environment. Therefore, the proposed project is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) – Common Sense Exemption.
County Clerks
Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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