Jeeze! NO!!!
What they're saying is that if the station has a "blender" pump which is capable of dispensing both E-10 and E-15 from the same hose, is that the fuel with higher alcohol content will NOT be dispensed until AFTER 4 gallons of the lower content will be dispensed! The EPA is attempting to protect dumb consumers from damaging their small engines!
They're not saying you have to buy more than 4 gallons of gas!
Mark
We'll say one button is for "regular" gas, one button is for E10, one button is for E15.
You want to buy good old "regular" gas.
Now just because you push that "regular" gas button it doesn't mean that "regular" gas is going to start flowing out of the nozzle when you "squeeze the trigger". There will still be E10/15 fuel in the pipes and hoses if the person ahead of you bought E10/15 fuel. You, as a consumer, have no way of knowing what that previous person bought!
So if there is only one hose for all fuel types they're saying that you'll have to buy at least four gallons to get the fuel you want as fuel will still be in the hose and the pipes from the underground storage tank.
They're not saying you have to buy more than 4 gallons of gas!
Yep, you're right, but you have to buy at least four gallons of a type of fuel that you don't even want and which may potentially damage ATV's, motorcycles and older cars, before you even get the fuel you do want.
What are you going to do with those first four gallons of fuel that you don't want in your gas tank?