25 January 2005

ARID's PERMEATOR System Granted ORVR Compatibility Approval in Texas

LaGrange, Illinois - ARID Technologies, Inc. today announced that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has approved ARID's patented PERMEATOR System for ORVR Compatibility.

Hydrocarbon emissions result from the incompatibility of Stage II vacuum assist systems refueling vehicles equipped with ORVR (On Board Refueling Vapor Recovery) canisters. "Currently, Stage II vapor recovery efficiencies are being compromised by vacuum-assisted systems returning excess air to the storage tanks and causing significant evaporative emissions of product," said ARID president Ted Tiberi. He added, "These emissions are a health and safety hazard for the public as well as an economic burden to petroleum marketers who will not be able to sell the same volume of product that they originally purchased. ARID's PERMEATOR system provides the solution to both of these issues."

All Stage II vapor recovery systems installed on refueling stations located within the Texas counties of: Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, Waller, Hardin, Jefferson, Orange, El Paso, Collin, Dallas, Denton, and Tarrant must be ORVR Compatible according to the following schedule:

• Stage II vapor recovery systems installed on or after April 1, 2005, must be ORVR compatible; and
• Stage II vapor recovery systems installed before April 1, 2005, must be upgraded to an ORVR compatible system no later than April 1, 2007.

The PERMEATOR prevents the venting of gasoline vapors (VOC's, volatile organic compounds) and associated product loss from gasoline storage tanks through a patented hydrocarbon-selective membrane. The system virtually eliminates evaporative emissions and has been proven since 1989 in large tank storage and refinery applications. A recent independent, third party study conducted in Florida determined that evaporative losses at that site could be as high as 0.36% of throughput (3.6 gallons per 1,000 gallons pumped) - due to the various variables such as altitude, RVP, and fuel temperature. This same study showed that the PERMEATOR reduced these VOC emissions by 99.27%.

ARID Technologies, Inc. is a recognized leader in membrane based gasoline vapor recovery technology. ARID has over 125 systems installed worldwide: Europe, Japan and domestically in California, Florida, Nevada, and Texas.

View the PERMEATOR's official letter of approval from Texas.