Final Rule: Regulation To Mitigate the Misfueling of Vehicles and Engines With Gasoline Containing Greater Than Ten Volume Percent Ethanol and Modifications to the Reformulated and Conventional Gasoline Programs
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Rule Summary
Under the Clean Air Act (CAA), EPA granted partial waivers that allow gasoline containing greater than 10 volume percent (vol%) ethanol up to 15 vol% ethanol (E15) to be introduced into commerce for use in model year (MY) 2001 and newer light-duty motor vehicles, subject to certain conditions.
In this action, EPA establishes several measures to mitigate misfueling of other vehicles, engines and equipment with E15 and the potential emissions consequences of misfueling. Specifically, the rule prohibits the use of gasoline containing more than 10 vol% ethanol in vehicles, engines and waiver decisions. The final rule also requires all E15 gasoline fuel dispensers to have a specific label when a retail station or wholesale-purchaser consumer chooses to sell E15. In addition, the rule requires that product transfer documents (PTDs) specifying ethanol content and Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) accompany the transfer of gasoline blended with ethanol through the fuel distribution system, and a survey of retail stations to ensure compliance with E15 labeling, ethanol content and other requirements. The rule also modifies the Reformulated Gasoline (RFG) program to allow fuel manufacturers to certify batches of E15. Finally, this action denies a petition for rulemaking to require retail stations to offer for sale gasoline containing 10 vol% ethanol or less.
Additional Resources
- Fact Sheet: EPA Finalizes Regulations to Mitigate the Potential for Misfueling of Vehicles, Engines and Equipment with E15 (PDF) (3 pp, 165 K, EPA-420-F-11-023, June 2011)
- Fact Sheet: EPA Announces E15 Partial Waiver Decision and Fuel Pump Labeling Proposal (PDF) (5 pp, 529 K, EPA-420-F-10-054, October 2010)
- Summary and Analysis of Comments (PDF) (131 pp, 691 K, EPA-420-R-11-006, June 2011)
- Final Rule (PDF) (45 pp, 991 K, published July 25, 2011)
- Proposed Rule (PDF) (49 pp, 3.4 MB, November 4, 2010)