Background
The overall mission of weights and measures is to preserve and maintain the standards of measurement essential in providing a basis of value comparison for the consumer and fair competition for industry.
The California Oil Substitution Act was enacted in 1931 (Stats 1931, Chapter 609). The provisions of that legislation are found in the Business and Professions Code (BPC), Division 5, Chapters 14 (Petroleum), 14.5 (Service Stations) and 15 (Automotive Products). The Department of Food and Agriculture (Department) Division of Measurement Standards (Division) was given the responsibility for establishing and enforcing the quality standards for spark and compression-ignition engine fuels sold in California. These include gasoline, diesel fuel, and other fuels such as biodiesel and hydrogen.
The principle task of the Division’s Petroleum Products Program (Program) is to regulate and enforce quality specifications for engine fuels, motor oils, engine coolants, and brake fluids. These products are sampled and tested in the Program’s laboratories to verify that they meet the minimum quality, performance, and drivability standards. The Program also ensures that the products are correctly labeled and all advertising meets State requirements.
The broad objective of the proposed regulation is to ensure that motor vehicle fuels offered for sale to Californians meet minimum quality standards. BPC Section 13450 requires the Department to adopt by reference the latest standards for a compression-ignition engine fuel developed by a recognized consensus organization such as ASTM International (ASTM) or SAE International. Dimethyl Ether (DME) is a compression-ignition fuel that previously had no fuel quality standard. ASTM International completed and published its ASTM D7901-14 “Standard Specification for Dimethyl Ether for Fuel Purposes” in March 2014. BPC Section 13451 declares that it is unlawful to sell any product as “compression-ignition engine fuel” unless it conforms to the specifications of Chapter 14, Article 6 of the BPC.