On Wednesday, November 6, 2002, the Board of Directors of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District will conduct a public hearing to review and discuss proposed amendments to Regulation 8, Rule 7: Gasoline Dispensing Facilities. The public hearing will be held in the 7th floor Board Room at the District Office at 939 Ellis Street, San Francisco, CA. Board meetings commence at 9:30 a.m.

Regulation 8, Rule 7 applies to gas stations, called gasoline dispensing facilities in the rule. The rule requires most stations to have vapor recovery equipment that captures gasoline vapors generated when gasoline is transferred from a tanker truck to the station and when gasoline is dispensed into motor vehicle fuel tanks. The proposed amendments would incorporate into the rule periodic testing requirements for vapor recovery equipment. Many stations are already required to perform this periodic testing by conditions in equipment permits or equipment certification documents. The amendments are intended to address EPA's limited approval/limited disapproval of the rule (see 66 Fed. Reg. 38561, July 25, 2001) and allow EPA to fully approve the rule into the California State Implementation Plan for the national ozone standard.

Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (Public Resources Code § 21000 et seq.), an initial study for the proposed amendments to Regulation 8, Rule 7 has been conducted, concluding that the proposed amendments would not have significant adverse environmental impacts. Notice is hereby given that the District intends to adopt a negative declaration for the proposed amendments pursuant to Public Resources Code § 21080(c) and CEQA Guidelines 15070 et seq.

This notice, the proposed amendments, the initial study and negative declaration, and a staff report are available on the District's website at www.baaqmd.gov. Copies of these documents are also available for review at the address below or by calling Lilia Martinez at (415) 749-4664. If you have any questions regarding the proposed amendments, please contact Scott Owen at (415) 749-4693, or, by e-mail, at sowen@baaqmd.gov.

Written comments on the proposed amendments or negative declaration must be addressed to Scott Owen, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, 939 Ellis Street, San Francisco, California, 94109, or to sowen@baaqmd.gov. Comments will be received during the period from Monday, October 7 until 5:00 p.m. on Monday, October 28, 2002.