2026 EnviroFlash Announcements about EPA Fuel Programs
This page lists recent EnviroFlash announcements that have been released to update stakeholders about EPA fuel programs.
- 8/31/2026: Notice of EPA’s Intent to Update RFS Small Refinery Exemption Data
- 8/21/2026: Update on Future RFS 2025 Small Refinery Exemption Decisions and Compliance Deadline Extension
- 8/3/2026: Notice of EPA’s Intent to Update RFS Small Refinery Exemption Data
- 7/23/2026: The EMTS v9.4.0 Release
- 1/30/2026: EMTS is Online
- 1/30/2026: UPDATED - EMTS OUTAGE
- 1/28/2026: UPDATED - EMTS maintenance schedule is now confirmed
- 1/27/2026: OTAQ EMTS is currently offline Tuesday, January 27 through Wednesday, January 28, 2026
- 1/22/2026: EMTS maintenance schedule is now confirmed
- 1/5/2026: Update - EMTS Planned Outage
Notice of EPA’s Intent to Update RFS Small Refinery Exemption Data
August 31, 2026
At 3:00 PM today (ET), August 31, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued decisions on 34 petitions from small refineries for an exemption from the Renewable Fuel Standard for compliance year 2025. At the same time, EPA will update the RFS Small Refinery Exemption website to reflect that information. For more information, please visit: News, Notices and Announcements for the Renewable Fuel Standard.
Update on Future RFS 2025 Small Refinery Exemption Decisions and Compliance Deadline Extension
August 21, 2026
EPA intended to issue all pending 2025 Small Refinery Exemption decisions by the end of this August 2026.
The EPA also plans to extend the RFS 2025 compliance deadline for all obligated parties from its current date, September 1, 2026.
EPA's formal actions to carry out these actions are pending. Details on the new compliance deadline will be included in the formal action extending the date.
Notice of EPA’s Intent to Update RFS Small Refinery Exemption
August 3, 2026
At 1:00 PM today (ET), August 3, 2026, EPA issued decisions on 6 petitions from small refineries for an exemption from the Renewable Fuel Standard for compliance years 2023 and 2024. At the same time, EPA will update the RFS Small Refinery Exemption website (RFS Small Refinery Exemptions) to reflect that information. For more information, please visit: News, Notices and Announcements for the Renewable Fuel Standard.
The EMTS v9.4.0 Release
July 23, 2026
The evening of Wednesday, July 15, 2026, EPA Moderated Transaction System maintenance was performed including a production upgrade to EMTS version 9.4.0. The EMTS v9.4.0 release features enhancements to integrate remedial action processing into EMTS and includes refinements to authorization workflows, generate and retire transactions, validation checks, reports, the EMTS submission XML schema, and conversion templates.
Reference EMTS release documentation for details:
- EMTS v9.4.0 Release Notes are available here:
Release Notes for the EPA Moderated Transaction System - The EMTS XML v3.9 schema that supports EMTS v9.4.0 is available here:
Submission Schema for RIN and Credit Transactions in the EPA Moderated Transaction System; - The accompanying Data Exchange Template v3.9 is available here:
Data Exchange Template for EMTS; - For EMTS node submitters: To take full advantage of the integrated remedial action process, upgrade to the v3.9 schema. The EMTS web interface may be utilized in the interim pending upgrade.
- An updated conversion template for EMTS v9.4.0 can be found here: EMTS System Documentation
Contact the Fuels Program Helpdesk to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem: FuelsProgramSupport@epa.gov
EMTS is Online
January 30, 2026
EMTS is back online after scheduled maintenance. Thank you for your patience.
This maintenance did not include any changes to EMTS software. If you notice any new or unexpected errors or performance issues, please email FuelsProgramSupport@epa.gov.
UPDATED - EMTS OUTAGE
January 30, 2026
EMTS is currently offline for scheduled maintenance from Tuesday, January 27 through Thursday, January 29, 2026. To avoid failed transactions or other issues, please do not attempt to process any transactions in EMTS during this time. We will update this alert once the system is back online.
UPDATED - EMTS maintenance schedule is now confirmed
January 28, 2026
EMTS is currently offline for scheduled maintenance from Tuesday, January 27 through Thursday, January 29, 2026. To avoid failed transactions or other issues, please do not attempt to process any transactions in EMTS during this time. We will update this alert once the system is back online.
OTAQ EMTS is currently offline Tuesday, January 27 through Wednesday, January 28, 2026
January 27, 2026
EMTS is currently offline for scheduled maintenance from Tuesday, January 27 through Wednesday, January 28, 2026. To avoid failed transactions or other issues, please do not attempt to process any transactions in EMTS during this time. We will update this alert once the system is back online.
EMTS maintenance schedule is now confirmed
January 22, 2026
EMTS maintenance schedule is now confirmed. Beginning on or about Tuesday, January 27, 2026, the EPA Moderated Transaction System will be offline for 48 hours for scheduled maintenance. To avoid failed transactions or other issues, please do not attempt to process any transactions in EMTS for the duration of the maintenance activity. We will provide additional information when the system is back online.
Notice - EMTS Planned Outage
January 5, 2026
The 48-hour EMTS maintenance, anticipated for the week of January 6, 2026, has been postponed. We are actively arranging a new maintenance date and will notify users of the exact timing once this date is confirmed.