Retailers in California will start selling ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel on Sept. 1 – six weeks before the rest of the country.

While most retailers in other states are complying with a federal mandate to make the fuel available beginning Oct. 15, California passed its own regulations requiring a Sept. 1 start-up date.

All retailers in the state will begin selling ultra-low sulfur diesel on that date.

Ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel contains only 15 parts-per-million of sulfur – compared to the current 500 parts-per-million.

Once the national conversion is complete, the EPA estimates it will reduce harmful nitrogen oxide gases by 2.6 million tons per year.