Commissioner Irvin, as the state's chief fuel inspector, issued an emergency rule change permitting the higher vapor pressure gasoline to be sold starting Thursday, Sept. 1 instead of Sept. 16.

"The change can increase the production and alleviate some distribution supply problems," Commissioner Irvin said. "You can produce more of the higher-vapor-pressure gas from a barrel of crude and a lot more quickly. Some suppliers start cutting back on their stockpiles of the lower-vapor-pressure the closer we get to the time to switch over, so you might experience some shortages in some spots in the marketplace this time of year."

Commissioner Irvin said the move would guarantee that the department's fuel regulations would not hamper any steps taken by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to respond to Governor Sonny Perdue's request for a change in environmental standards for Metro Atlanta's gasoline.