LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Summer in Michigan means time on the lake, backyard cookouts – and, naturally, pricier gas. With Memorial Day already driving up pump prices, drivers in eight southeast Michigan counties can also expect an extra hit starting June 1, thanks to the state’s annual Summer Gasoline Program. It’s not technically a tax, but your wallet won’t know the difference.

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) will be enforcing a rule that gasoline sold in Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties must meet a lower Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) of 7.0 psi. Translation: refineries have to whip up a special summer cocktail of fuel that evaporates less in the heat – and costs more to make.

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MDARD and the Whitmer administration are pitching this as a breath of fresh air, literally. “The program is one of our contributions to the governor’s Healthy Climate Plan,” said MDARD Director Tim Boring.

A cleaner burn – for your budget.

The idea behind the low-RVP gas is to reduce the kind of gasoline vapors that turn warm summer days into smoggy messes. That haze you see hanging over metro Detroit? It’s not your allergies – it’s ground-level ozone, caused by vehicle emissions and made worse by standard, high-volatility gas.

Craig VanBuren, head of MDARD’s lab and consumer protection bureau, says the special blend improves air quality and fuel efficiency. Changing the blend also ensures that Michigan continues to receive federal highway funding.

However, summer gas is pricier to refine, more costly to transport, and yes, that means more pain at the pump for everyday drivers.

Ozone okay in space but bad in your face.

To be fair, smog is no joke. It worsens asthma, increases respiratory infections, and makes a run to the mailbox feel like a cardio workout. But the annual summer fuel shuffle feels like a recurring budget ambush for commuters.

So while Michigan drivers may be fueling up with a cleaner conscience, they’re also draining their wallets a little faster – and that’s without even considering the cost of burgers and sunscreen this season.

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It’s all in the name of cleaner air, Michiganders. So maybe don’t check your bank account until September 16 when the program ends for the year.