[MplsSteve]

Interesting. I've been following the growth of ethanol for a while - and truthfully, I didn't see this coming.

It sounds like a relatively easy thing to fix, I think.

Comments or opinions - anyone?

[MplsSteve]

Renewable Energy PING?

[Mr. Lucky]

Fuel pumps in Brazil have dispensed 100% ethanol for years.

[Emmett McCarthy]

So, if it's ruining the gas station pumps, why would I be stupid enogh to put it in my car?

[100-Fold_Return]

WOW!!!This hit the wires over one week ago and this is the first I've seen or heard this reported.

Cover-up...just another cover-up...one more cover-up cover-up cover-up... .

[HamiltonJay]

I dunno, Ethonol blends have been part of gas in many states for decades, I can remember it back in they late 70s and early 80s in NC where I lived gas being 10 or 15% ethanol routinely.. If it destroyed pumps, I'm sure it would be well documented by now.

[P-40]

I didn't see this coming.

I just assumed that the gas stations would have all been told that they would need to make some pump modifications if they had not already purchased pumps capable of working with a high ethanol content. Sounds like someone skipped the fine print. :)

[Fighting Irish]

I'm scratching my head too as the Ethanol I ran in my cars was right out of the tanks from a friend of mine - who ran an Ethanol plant from his farm. If I'm not mistaken he said it was 95%E to 5%G.

I never had a problem running for over a year in my Ford F150.

There is a pretty large lobby out there built to crush Ethanol useage. Who knows....

[PUGACHEV]

I recently took my motorcycle into the shop because it dropped a cylinder, and I was told that since the switch to the higher ethanol blend many bikes have come in with gummed up carburetors, just like mine. It seems that the ethanol-enhanced fuel breaks down the gasoline very quickly, and if a bike is left to sit for more than a week you can expect problems. I was advised to not use premium gas, which has even more ethanol, and to add a 50:1 ratio of 2 cycle oil to every tank of gas I buy from now on.This doesn't seem like progress to me.

[curiosity]

More proof that ethanol is garbage and a huge waste of taxpayer money.

End the subsidies. Make the corn lobby pay its own way. If it had to, the whole ethanol industry would collapse.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

"could be eating away at metal and plastic parts in gas station pumps"

Gee! They use metal and plastic in cars too, don't they?

[Constitution Day]

This has been a HUGE deal in the petroleum equipment industry (which I work in).

I have a copy of the UL letter to our company which I can post here, if you're interested.

[Constitution Day]

Here is the UL letter I referenced in #37. See you all Monday!

---

From: UL.Notification@us.ul.com
Sent: Thursday, October 05, 2006 2:13 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients
Subject: Important Notice on UL Certification of Dispenser Components for use with E-85

Dear Valued Customer:

Effective immediately, Underwriters Laboratories Inc. is suspending authorization to use UL Markings (Listing or Recognition) on components for fuel dispensing devices that specifically reference compatibility with alcohol blended fuels that contain greater than 15% alcohol (i.e. ethanol, methanol or other alcohols). Dispenser components as they relate to use with traditional fuel blends (i.e., blended fuels containing 15% or less alcohols) are unaffected. In all cases, acceptability of fuel dispensers for using alcohol-blended fuels containing greater than 15% alcohol (e.g., E-85) remains at the discretion of the Authority Having Jurisdiction.

Research indicates that the presence of high concentrations of Ethanol or other alcohols within blended fuels makes these fuels significantly more corrosive. This may result in the fuel chemically attacking the materials used in fuel dispenser components, and may ultimately degrade the dispenser’s ability to contain the fuel. While UL has no evidence of field issues related to this application, we are suspending authorization to use the UL Mark on components used in dispensing devices that will dispense any alcohol blended fuels containing over 15% alcohol until updated certification requirements are established and the effected components have been found to comply with them.

Our engineers are actively reviewing current E-85 research and meeting with industry and government experts to gather the information required to draft the revised certification requirements. UL anticipates that testing of E-85 dispenser components will commence immediately following publication of UL's E-85 certification requirements, as they pertain to the use of these higher alcohol blended fuels on a dispenser system. We remain committed to undertaking in an expeditious manner the thorough and broad based effort necessary to develop the appropriate requirements that will adequately address E-85 compatibility.

UL staff will be attending the PEI show in Las Vegas from October 9-11, 2006 and will be available to address any of your questions. We look forward to working with you in our effort to develop dispenser and dispenser component requirements for the use of Ethanol based fuels.

Best regards,

Kerry McManama
General Manager
Hazardous Locations and Gas & Oil
(phone number redacted)