WASHINGTON - Yesterday, the White House announced plans to get rid of rules that make gasoline stations trap vapors (Stage II vapor recovery), the Associated Press reports. The announcement comes as part of the Obama administration??s proposals to lessen regulations on businesses.

This section refers to requirements that retailers is certain ozone non-attainment zones install and maintain Stage II vapor recovery systems. The Clean Air Act empowers the Environmental Protection Agency to repeal these requirements once on-board vapor recovery systems installed on vehicles reach "widespread use." The two systems are considered redundant technologies.

The definition of widespread use, however, has been a source of contention for several years. The announcement yesterday indicates the Agency has reached a decision, but what that decision might be and when it would take effect remain uncertain. Removal of the Stage II requirement is estimated by the White House to save retailers $67 million per year.

Overall, the White House released hundreds of changes to rules that could potentially help businesses keep billions of dollars and tens of millions of work hours.

The plans will lower costs for government on the state and local levels and for businesses while "maintaining the critical health and safety protections that Americans deserve," read the White House??s statement. In January, President Barack Obama signed an executive order commanding agencies to find outdated or job-costly rules.

The agency also will let pollution information be reported electronically. Most of the proposals are not final and will be revised depending on public comment, which will be collected throughout the summer.