(a)(1) The amount of sulfur content of the following fuels sold, offered for sale, distributed or used in this state shall not exceed the following percentages by weight: (A) For number two heating oil, three-tenths of one per cent, and (B) for number two off-road diesel fuel, three-tenths of one per cent.

(2) Notwithstanding subdivision (1) of this subsection, the amount of sulfur content of number two heating oil sold, offered for sale, distributed or used in this state shall not exceed the following percentages by weight: (A) For the period beginning July 1, 2014, and ending June 30, 2018, five hundred parts per million, and (B) on and after July 1, 2018, fifteen parts per million.

(b) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may suspend the requirements of subsection (a) of this section if the commissioner finds that the physical availability of fuel which complies with such requirements is inadequate to meet the needs of residential, commercial or industrial users in this state and that such inadequate physical availability constitutes an emergency provided the commissioner shall specify in writing the period of time such suspension shall be in effect.

(c) The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may enforce the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section utilizing the methodologies and standards specified in section 22a-174-19b of the regulations of Connecticut state agencies.

(P.A. 95-68, S. 1, 2; P.A. 06-143, S. 1; P.A. 08-124, S. 6; P.A. 10-74, S. 1; P.A. 11-80, S. 1; P.A. 13-298, S. 46; P.A. 15-160, S. 2.)

History: P.A. 95-68 effective January 1, 1996; P.A. 06-143 added new Subsecs. (b), (c) and (d) re graduated permissible sulfur contents for number two heating oil, added new Subsec. (e) re permissible sulfur content for number two off-road diesel fuel, redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (f), allowed suspension of requirements of Subsecs. (a) to (e) if commissioner finds inadequate physical fuel availability constitutes an emergency and made technical changes, effective June 6, 2006; P.A. 08-124 made technical changes in Subsecs. (b) to (e), effective June 2, 2008; P.A. 10-74 amended Subsec. (a) by designating existing provisions as Subdiv. (1), making technical changes therein and adding Subdiv. (2) re weight percentage sulfur content limit of number two heating oil and Subdiv. (3) re when provisions of Subdiv. (2) shall take effect, effective July 1, 2011; pursuant to P.A. 11-80, “Commissioner of Environmental Protection” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection” in Subsec. (f), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 13-298 amended Subsec. (a) to replace “July 1, 2011,” with “July 1, 2014,” “June 30, 2014,” with “June 30, 2018,” and “fifty parts per million” with “five hundred parts per million” in Subdiv. (2)(A), to replace “July 1, 2014,” with “July 1, 2018,” in Subdiv. (2)(B) and to delete former Subdiv. (3) re date provisions take effect, deleted former Subsecs. (b) to (e) re maximum sulfur content, and designated existing Subsec. (f) as Subsec. (b) and amended same to make a conforming change, effective July 8, 2013; P.A. 15-160 added Subsec. (c) re enforcement of sulfur content standards, effective July 1, 2015.