Gas prices in Western Pennsylvania will go down under a new law that was sponsored by state Sen. Elder Vogel, whose district partially includes Butler County.

However, drivers will have to wait until next year to see it.

The law repeals requirements for a different blend of gasoline to be used in the summer in Western Pennsylvania. That blend typically costs about 10 to 15 cents per gallon more for drivers.

Motorists here are forced to buy the more expensive blend, called low Reid Vapor Pressure gasoline, between May 1 and Sept. 15. The idea behind the blend was that it helped cut down on smog and air pollution in the hot summer months.

However, Vogel said Monday the Pittsburgh region has cleaned up its act dramatically in the past several decades with the closing of steel mills and the improvement of air quality.

That’s why he proposed the bill, which was passed by the Legislature in May.

“This was put in place years ago when the air quality was in poor shape,” he said of the previous law. “Now, our air is cleaner and our cars run cleaner. It’s just the right thing for people here in Western Pennsylvania.”

Vogel said the idea for the new law came to him while traveling to Harrisburg for legislative sessions. He saw that gas in the central and eastern parts of the state was cheaper than here and found out about the different blend of gas required here.

The state senator referred to those old requirements as a “hidden tax” on gas stations in Western Pennsylvania and said they unfairly hurt smaller enterprises.

The law won’t be implemented until next year to allow for the state Department of Environmental Protection to alter the program.

The new law covers Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties.

Over the weekend, Gov. Tom Corbett took part in a ceremonial signing of the law and said in a news release that Vogel’s law “levels the playing field when it comes to gas prices for our consumers.”

“By eliminating the requirement that companies must sell a special, more expensive blend of gas during the summer months, we will lift a significant burden on the budgets of working families in seven counties and will continue to make this great region more competitive,” Corbett said.