The new E15 ethanol standard - or how the EPA ruined my lawnmower

[RyanX]

Yes, true story...

So a few weeks ago I noticed the particularly potent smell of gasoline in my garage. I have three items that require gas: my car, my lawnmower and my garden tiller. After inspecting my car and tiller, I noticed a distinct pool of gas surrounding my lawnmower. Great! Perfect timing, right in the middle of the summer when the grass is growing by leaps and bounds. Not that I enjoy mowing my lawn, I actually find grass covered lawns somewhat unattractive and prefer the look of well-planned gardens and flower beds (nevertheless, I try to strike a balance between garden space and yard space).

So, I called my friendly small motor repair outfit in town and had them pick up the mower to fix. It wasn't until yesterday that I got the diagnosis: "There was some corrosion on a gasket which caused the leak. The reason for the corrosion was because you were using gas with 18% ethanol!" Huh??? I thought that the pumps said no more than 10% ethanol in the regular unleaded gas, which is what I filled my gas can with earlier this spring. Not so, as I soon discovered...

From the EPA: _http://www.epa.gov/otaq/regs/fuels/additive/e15/

In response to a request by Growth Energy and 54 ethanol manufacturers under the Clean Air Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted two partial waivers that allow but do not require the introduction into commerce of gasoline that contains greater than 10 volume percent (vol%) ethanol and up to 15 vol% ethanol (E15) for use in model year (MY) 2001 and newer light-duty motor vehicles, subject to certain conditions. On October 13, 2010, EPA granted the first partial waiver for E15 for use in MY2007 and newer light-duty motor vehicles (i.e., cars, light-duty trucks and medium-duty passenger vehicles). On January 21, 2011, EPA granted the second partial waiver for E15 for use in MY2001-2006 light-duty motor vehicles. These decisions were based on test results provided by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and other test data and information regarding the potential effect of E15 on vehicle emissions. On June 23, 2011, EPA issued regulations to help reduce the potential for vehicles, engines, and equipment not covered by the partial waiver decisions to be misfueled with E15.

Notice the EPA says nothing about older vehicles or other small engine items. In fact, they specifically state that E15 should NOT be used for small engines:

What Vehicles and Engines May Not Use E15?

* All motorcycles.
* All vehicles with heavy-duty engines, such as school buses, transit buses, and delivery trucks.
* All off-road vehicles, such as boats and snowmobiles.
* All engines in off-road equipment, such as lawnmowers and chain saws.
* All MY2000 and older cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty passenger vehicles (SUVs).

So they had to have been selling E15 since at least October I'm guessing. And this isn't just 15% ethanol, it's closer to 18% from what the engine shop told me. They used a simple method to find the ethanol percentage which involves mixing the gas with water. Here's how you do it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsSQSuCiUjE There are other ethanol testing products out there as well.

So are other people concerned about this problem of too much ethanol in the regular fuel supply? Apparently so...

_http://www.ogj.com/index/article-display/2224947614/articles/oil-gas-journal/processing-2/20100/july-2011/epa-approval_of_e15.html

EPA approval of E15 may be mistake, witnesses tell House panel

Jul 8, 2011

Nick Snow

OGJ Washington Editor

WASHINGTON, DC, July 8 -- Federal approval of higher ethanol concentrations in gasoline without further testing could seriously damage engines instead of improving the environment, several witnesses told a subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee on July 7.

The US Environmental Protection Agency’s desire to allow more ethanol to be used in conventional vehicles should not be allowed to harm investments motorists make in safe, reliable, and economical vehicles, according to Bob Greco, American Petroleum Institute downstream and industry operations director. Greco told the committee’s Energy and Environment Subcommittee: “The oil and auto industries cannot support a premature action that could put consumer satisfaction and safety at risk.”

The hearing came 2 days after Rep. F. James Sensenbrunner (R-Wis.), the full committee’s vice-chairman, released statements from 12 automakers regarding the consequences of fuel with 15% ethanol on engines, fuel economy, and warranties.

The statements, in response to a survey he sent June 2 to General Motors, Ford, and 10 other automakers, expressed reservations about allowing ethanol concentrations to rise above their current 10% limit. “Americans need a fuel that will give them more miles out of a gallon of [gasoline]—not one that will prematurely send their vehicles to the junkyard,” Sensenbrunner said on July 5.

“While the details associated with the EPA E15 decisions are complex and esoteric, their impacts are potentially massive,” said Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), the subcommittee’s chairman, as he opened the July 7 hearing. “The properties of ethanol are very different from gasoline, and they may result in problems associated with corrosion, engine failure, increased emissions, materials incompatibility, infrastructure, warranty damage, and the potential for misfueling.”

Basis of decision

But Margo T. Oge, transportation and air quality director in EPA’s air and radiation office, said EPA partially granted ethanol producers’ request for a waiver to raise ethanol levels in gasoline to 15% based on all available evidence, including US Department of Energy and other researchers’ test data.

“Based on this evidence, EPA determined that the Clean Air Act criteria were met for allowing E15 to be introduced into commerce for use in model year 2001 and newer cars, light trucks, and other passenger vehicles,” she told the subcommittee. “EPA also found that the [CAA’s] criteria were not met for older passenger vehicles and other types of vehicles and gasoline-powered equipment because there were insufficient data to allay engineering concerns that the less sophisticated engines and emission controls of these products could accommodate E15.”

EPA consequently raised the allowable ethanol limit to 15% for model year 2001 and newer cars and light trucks, but did not raise the permissible concentration in gasoline for other uses, Oge continued. To reduce the potential for misfueling with E15, the federal regulator required fuel producers who decide to introduce E15 clearly label dispensers and take other steps, she said. EPA also recently released national regulations to further reduce the risk of misfueling, Oge said.

Those steps may not do the job, other witnesses warned. “The reality is that if E15 becomes the standard gasoline in the marketplace, millions of consumers will run the risk of having their vehicles, boats, lawnmowers, and other gasoline-powered devices damaged, because they will not have the option of fueling them properly,” said Jeff Wasil, emissions certification engineer for Evinrude Marine Engines in Sturtevant, Wis.

He noted that while the National Marine Manufacturers Association and others petitioned EPA to require gasoline retailers offering E15 to also offer E10, EPA denied the petition and has no plans to mandate E10’s continued availability. “This will certainly lead to the very misfueling that EPA wants to avoid,” Wasil said.

Potential impacts

Potential adverse engine impacts from a 15% ethanol blend include increased engine heat; leaks from earlier deterioration of seals, gaskets, and fuel lines; and unintended clutch engagement, which would raise safety concerns for chain saws, hedge trimmers, and other blade products, according to Ranajit Sanhu, an independent technical consultant who testified on behalf of the Outer Power Equipment Institute.

“Unequivocally, the answer is that millions of products including most nonroad engines and equipment will sustain a range of damage if the ethanol content of gasoline is increased to 15%,” he testified. Tests by DOE and others confirm this, Sanhu added.

Heather White, chief of staff and general counsel for the Environmental Working Group, and Mike Brown, president of the National Chicken Council, also separately criticized EPA’s E15 actions. “Putting aside the very definite and common sense problem of misfueling that this action will cause, the National Chicken Council cannot understand why the federal government is taking this untimely and unfortunate step to put more pressure on an already precarious corn crop this fall,” Brown said.

But W. Steven Burke, president of the Biofuels Center of North Carolina, said that the private, nonprofit corporation, which the state’s legislature established in 2007 to develop the capacity to produce alternatives to petroleum-based fuels, supports EPA’s E15 decisions.

“More time is clearly needed for advanced biofuels technologies to develop,” Burke said. “In the interim, increased use of ethanol serves as the first stage foundation required for new biofuels technology, affirms biofuels within consumer and national life, and prepares for large amounts of next generation feedstocks, technology, and facilities.”

I mean this isn't just 15% ethanol, it appears closer to 20%, which has clearly been in the fuel supply since at least earlier this year. In other words, they rushed to push this through without warning consumers. It's the "shoot first, ask questions later" policy. I'm not surprised that they could give two squeeks about fuel-consuming citizens, but with 18% ethanol in the majority of the nation's fuel, that's gonna put a heavy price on corn, or at least put a lot of pressure on the corn industry to produce fuel instead of food.

Maybe this is primarily a good thing? If these staple foods become more heavily tied up in the fuel market, perhaps this means more people will avoid consuming corn as a result? Can that be so bad? If it wasn't that some folks in the third world depend on a stable and affordable price of corn, I'm not sure I would care that much. The problems with consuming corn are legion as we've uncovered here on this forum - it's not an ideal food for any mammal as far as I can tell. Of course, the destruction from the corn fields, GMO seeds and other problems associated with agriculture don't go away from using corn as fuel. This is all just pure madness and there looks to be no end in sight.

Anyways, apparently the lawn mower isn't completely shot, it's still a reasonable price to fix it, so hopefully I'll have it back soon before the city starts to complain about my towering superweeds!

I've been told there are a couple places in town that supposedly still sell non-ethanol untainted fuel, so I'll be going their for my lawn equipment needs. For those who are interested, there is also this website that lists gas stations that carry ethanol-free fuel:

http://www.pure-gas.org/index.jsp

Anyways, hopefully this post keeps others from making the same mistake I did. :P

 

[Bluestar]

Just one more thing that the PTB have done to manipulate the US populace. And doing this when everyone in the states are having a tough time financially is an outrage.

Glad your lawn mower is not permanently damaged. Told my husband about this and unfortunately there are no gas stations in my area that sells ethanol free gas. Will have to trust that our lawnmower can handle it. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[rrraven]

here in OZ they sell E 10, 95 octane unleaded and 98octane unleaded
each brand has a different name for its types of fuel and ,according to my petrol head mechanic son, there are differences in quality as well
my 90 model Nissan Patrol 4x4 stalls on E10
sadly the best quality fuel is BP 98octane

back in high school I asked my chemistry teacher why there was lead in fuel and he explained that the lead is a lubricant for the engine and if fuel did not have it motors would seize after a few years

back then cars were made out of thick new steel and lasted for ever....
so they came up with new models with thinner skins from recycled metal(rust already built in )that rust away in 5 years and people kept fixing them because the engine was still good... so they come up with unleaded and voila after 5 years you can throw the whole car away and buy a new one

AV Gas may be the answer...they can not mess with aviation fuel , you can not have aircraft engines stall or go diesel ,Mr Diesel invented his engine to run on vegetable oil ,now there is a good use for canola (oh, forgot it still encourages agri business/planet raping) well back to horse and cart, bullock team or reindeer sled it is.... and for your lawn ,hm, I believe a cut with a scythe followed by trim with a sickle ;) or get some flower seed and grow a small meadow and make long grass a fashion statement :)

 

[Thomas Alan]

Let's see. Ethanol reduces gas mileage, shortens the life of your car engine, takes land out of food production, damages small engines and costs more. What a deal! It does accomplish it's main goal though: making some people very wealthy.

At least for now we still have choice at the gas pump here. E15 is only available at a few stations. Most stations have E10, 98 unleaded or 95 unleaded. In the last legislature they tried to have the "ethanol" label removed on the gas pumps thinking that people would be more likely to buy it if they didn't know what know what they were getting.

Ain't it great in the United States of Pathology?

Mac