The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to make the decision to increase the ethanol content of motor fuels from 10 percent to 15 percent by September. This change was requested in January 2009 by Growth Energy, the lobby group for a large number of ethanol manufacturing plants in the Midwest.
In November 2009, the EPA sent a letter to Growth Energy informing them that they anticipated making a decision on their request in the fall of 2010. This is a link to an EPA site giving the status of their testing for 15 percent ethanol in motor fuels: www.epa.gov/otaq/regs/fuels/additive/e15status-updated.htm.
As you can see from the last section of this status update, EPA states: “Although we continue to evaluate all available information, it has become clear that insufficient data have been submitted on the use of E-15 in older vehicles and non-road engines (such as chain saws and marine engines) to enable EPA to make a decision on a waiver that would allow the use of E-15 for these engines. EPA will of course review any relevant data that is submitted prior to making its decision.”
EPA issues an update to their Renewal Fuel Standard in the spring of each year, citing what the requirements to refiners are for the quantity of ethanol fuels they must sell as a portion of their total gasoline sales.
For 2009, the standard was 10.21 percent. For 2010, it was reduced to 8.25 percent. I understand it was lowered in 2010 because several U.S. senators contacted the EPA to lower it because many of their constituents complained that the large quantity of corn being diverted from food product production to ethanol for fuels was causing significant price increases in nearly all food products manufactured from corn.
Several major U.S. refiners have chosen to sell essentially all of their motor fuels as ethanol gas for some reason. ExxonMobil and Shell have apparently taken that position. There may be others also.
In May of 2010, I sent the following letter to the CEOs of ExxonMobil and Shell US expressing the concern of boaters and homeowners about their position of not selling ethanol free fuels. I’ve heard back from ExxonMobil regarding this letter, but not Shell.
In his reply, the CEO of ExxonMobil states, “At the present time, ExxonMobil does not blend all of its fuel with ethanol. However, where we do blend ethanol with gasoline, we do not exceed the 10 percent ethanol threshold currently established by EPA.”
I’ve written back to Mr. Michael Roman of ExxonMobil who replied to my letter to please give me a list of ExxonMobil gas stations in Louisiana that currently sell non-ethanol gasoline (just about every Exxon station on the “Ethanol Free” gas station list had to be deleted because they converted to ethanol gas). I have not received a reply from Mr. Roman yet.
Boaters are strongly encouraged to patronize ethanol free gas stations so they can survive, or we’ll be in serious trouble when E-15 is introduced if we cannot find ethanol free gasoline.
Here is the letter sent to Exxon Mobil and Shell:
May 17, 2010
Mr. Rex W. Tillerson, CEO
Exxon Mobil Corp
5959 Las Colinas Blvd
Irving, TX 75039-2298
Mr. Marvin Odom, President and CEO
Shell Oil Company, USA
910 Louisiana Street
Houston, TX 77002
RE: Ethanol Gasoline – Serious Issue Ahead for U.S. Marine Industry
Dear Sirs:
I am writing to express concern about the impact of ethanol gas on our Country. I recognize it is an EPA Regulation that drives the addition of ethanol to gasoline. However, your Companies have taken positions on ethanol gasoline that are well beyond the EPA requirements for RFS in the US.
Ethanol gasoline is, in the opinion of many, many taxpayers, the greatest hoax ever perpetuated on the American public. Not only are we experiencing 6 to 8 percent lower fuel mileage with 10 percent ethanol gas (I actually calculated a 7.5 percent reduction on two trips of 400 miles each from New Orleans to Atlanta to visit my kids – so, whatever gains in reduction of crude oil demands by the addition of 10 percent ethanol are negated by the requirement to use more fuel due to lower fuel mileage), but the price of all food products made from corn has skyrocketed in recent years. Then, due to the hundreds of thousands of acres of new corn being grown in the mid-west to fuel the ethanol plants, the large additional tons of fertilizers used is causing the “red algae” or hypoxia area in the Gulf of Mexico to increase every year according to LSU Environmental Scientists who have been studying this issue for years. This threatens the fisheries of the entire Gulf of Mexico and all bordering states. Louisiana alone produces approximately 35 percent of the Country’s entire seafood consumption.
Then, there is the problem ethanol gasoline is creating for marine engines. I know two marine repair shops in south Louisiana who have a combined 110 years experience in servicing marine engines. They both tell me that ethanol gas is their “worst nightmare ever.” They can’t keep marine engines repaired fast enough. There are several problems with ethanol fuel in marine engines that don’t show up in automobiles. First, all boat tanks are vented to the atmosphere. As a result, water accumulates as a lower layer in the fuel tanks. When ethanol fuel is introduced, the ethanol will migrate to the water layer because ethanol is 100% soluble in water. If enough water is present in the fuel tank, it is possible that all the ethanol could migrate into the water layer, leaving the fuel with an 83-84 octane level. According to outboard engine manufacturers, this low octane level can damage the engines. Ethanol has a 113 octane rating and is a “water magnet.” Then, there is the issue that the ethanol/water layer is corrosive to aluminum fuel tanks. It also allows for the growth of algae which creates sludge formation. Then, if that weren’t bad enough, ethanol is possibly the best solvent known to man. All the gum and varnish that has accumulated on fuel tanks and fuel lines over the years are dissolved by the ethanol and pushed into the engine. This may totally plug carburetors and also damage fuel injected engines. Even the installation of 10 micron fuel water trapping filters does not insure damage will not be incurred. One shop recently told me of a 200 hp fuel injected outboard engine that suffered two burnt pistons due to fuel injector restrictions by “trash” which caused the cylinders to run extremely hot and burning the pistons. Ethanol dissolved gums/varnish particles passed through two 10 micron filters. The repair cost was $6,000. This is just one of many examples boaters are experiencing. Another shop told me that one customer’s engine’s carburetors were so plugged with trash that he was unable to clean them and had to throw them away and install new carbs. The fuel tank had to be emptied, flushed several times, all fuel lines replaced and a 10 micron fuel filter installed. Despite all this, the same boat was back in the shop 2 weeks later with plugged carbs again. In addition, the “shelf life” of ethanol gas is less than 60 days.
In addition, gasoline powered yard tools (lawnmowers, weed eaters, edgers, chain saws, etc) are also experiencing severe problems with ethanol fuels. A lawn tool repair shop down the highway from my home tells me he can’t keep up with repairs due to ethanol fuel damage. A friend just a week ago told me when he tried to prime his weed eater, gas started “spewing” all over. When he took it to the shop, the repairman asked him if he has used ethanol gas. He responded that he did. The ethanol fuel had dissolved the small plastic hose from the primer bulb to the carburetor. The weed eater was only 2 years old.
Many motorcycles are also experiencing serious problems with ethanol gas. Vintage and older vehicles cannot use ethanol gas. Neither can older model marine engines.
Despite all these issues however, the issue that concerns us most is the request by Growth Energy, a lobby group for over 50 ethanol plants in the Midwest, to the EPA in March of 2009 to increase the ethanol content of motor fuels from 10 percent to 15 percent. EPA initially indicated they expected to make a decision on Growth Energy’s request on or before December 1, 2009. However, EPA wrote Growth Energy on November 30, 2009 indicating they were not in a position to make a decision on Growth Energy’s request until further testing on a number of vehicles over an extended period of time. The letter indicates they anticipate making a decision in the late summer or by August of 2010. A copy of the letter is attached for your information. As you can see from the tone of the letter in the first paragraph on page 2, it implies that EPA will likely approve 15% ethanol gasoline later this year.
A 15 percent ethanol fuel presents a MAJOR DILMENA for the marine industry. Every outboard engine manufacturer who sells outboard engines in the US clearly warns customers either in their owners manual or on their web site’s “Q&A” section “under no circumstance should fuel containing greater than 10% ethanol be used or the engine will experience serious damage and the warranty will be voided”. E-15, without a source of ethanol free gas for boaters will TOTALLY SHUTDOWN THE MARINE INDUSTRY IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY!
While the EPA’s 2010 RFS Standard only requires refineries to sell 8.25 percent of their total gasoline sales as ethanol fuel (a copy of the EPA’s 2010 RFS Standard is attached), your Companies have apparently taken a position to sell ALL (100 percent) of your motor fuel as ethanol fuel I understand. How do you justify this position? My last and perhaps more important question to you is this: Is your Company ready for the tremendous NEGATIVE public relations nightmare you will experience when EPA approves 15 percent ethanol gas and when boaters across the Country are shutdown and all Americans who own gas powered yard tools cannot use their yard tools learn that you are selling ALL of your fuel as ethanol fuel when you are only required to sell 8.25 percent? I can assure you this will make national headlines. I URGE you to supply ethanol free regular gas in at least one or more of your gas stations in each town where you currently supply fuel to the motoring public. Gas station operators in Nebraska do this voluntarily. I saw it personally when I was there for the 2009 College World Series. Failure to provide boaters with a source of ethanol free gasoline may leave you with an outraged public to deal with. You won’t be able to blame the EPA either, as it is YOUR COMPANY’S CHOICE TO SELL ALL OF YOUR FUEL AS ETHANOL FUEL when you are not required to do so! IF you sold only 8.25 percent of your fuel as ethanol fuel as required by the EPA’s RFS, consumers would not be having such a problem finding ethanol free gasoline.
By copy of this letter, I am asking our Louisiana Senators and Congressmen to introduce a bill in Congress as soon as Republicans regain control of the House and Senate in November, to stop ALL taxpayer subsidies and tax credits to ethanol plants, refineries, gasoline distributors and gas station retailers who sell ethanol gas. We just can’t afford this!
I am a retired Chemist and have been researching ethanol gasoline issues for several years. I am also an avid fisherman in retirement. Please feel free to call me at 985.652-5027 should you have any questions. Please help us with this problem, and stop being part of the problem.
Sincerely,
Alton Landry
Attachments:
EPA Letter to Growth Energy re 15% Ethanol gasoline request
EPA’s 2010 RFS Rule
Cc: Louisiana US Senator David Vitter
Louisiana US Senator Mary Landrieu
Louisiana US Congressman Charlie Melancon
