Tag: renewable fuels association

E-85 Pumps Not Ul Safe

  • Gas station pumps and underground storage tanks are not yet UL certified to handle E-85. (Photo by Lester Graham)

With thousands of flex-fuel vehicles hitting the road, gas stations are adding E-85 to
their fuels. E-85 is 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. But, as Lester
Graham reports, storing and pumping E-85 fuel is a major concern because, so far,
no equipment has been certified as safe to handle it:

Transcript

With thousands of flex-fuel vehicles hitting the road, gas stations are adding E-85 to
their fuels. E-85 is 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. But, as Lester
Graham reports, storing and pumping E-85 fuel is a major concern because, so far,
no equipment has been certified as safe to handle it:


The Department of Energy’s Handbook for Handling, Storing, and Dispensing E-85
warns, “certain materials commonly used with gasoline are totally incompatible with
alcohols.” Other government guidelines give detailed instructions about storing E-85
in underground storage tanks and the pumps people use to fill their vehicles. But,
with more and more filling stations adding E-85 pumps, not everyone is following the
instructions and warnings.


Brad Hoffman is with the nation’s largest underground storage tank service
company, Tanknology. The company inspects gas station distribution systems:


“I think they pretty much just took for granted that their tank could store whatever
fuel they put into it and they didn’t really check the compatibility of the tank and the
other piping and dispensing equipment. They didn’t really confirm that it was
compatible with the E-85 that was being delivered.”


And some of the fiberglass underground storage tanks are not compatible. Ethanol
can soften the polymers in certain tanks. That can make them weaker and might
cause them to leak. There’s also concern that leak detection equipment might also
be damaged by ethanol. So if a tank is leaking, it might go undetected. And it’s not
just the tanks. There are questions about compatibility with the pumps filling flex-fuel
vehicles.


The ethanol industry says there have been no major problems with tanks or pumps
so far. Matt Hartwig is with the Renewable Fuels Association:


“Most gas station operators will use tanks that are appropriate. They will clean the
tanks. They would do the proper maintenance and the proper preparation required
to install E-85 infrastructure. Because of the nature of ethanol, you do need a
dedicated tank and pump system to dispense the fuel. I don’t think consumers and
the American driver have anything to fear.”


But fuel tank and gas pump inspectors are not as sure. Brad Hoffman with
Tanknology says government guidelines give checklists of recommendations on how
to prepare tanks and pumping systems:


“Being realistic, I think there’s a chance that some marketers may, you know, for
whatever reason, may not thoroughly check each of those items. And there could be
some problems, either with the tanks or the dispensing systems.”


Problems that could cause leaks.


Underwriters Laboratories is the safety testing organization that certifies the safety of equipment storing and pumping fuels. John Drengenberg is with
UL. He says it was only last year that a manufacturer asked for requirements for equipment handling E-85. Drengenberg says old gasoline equipment might not
be safe to pump E-85:


“The alcohol is different in that it’s much more corrosive. We know for a fact that
alcohol will attack soft metals, in particular aluminum and copper, things of that type,
and even plastics. So, therefore, what worked for gasoline dispensers, may not work
for ethanol dispensers.”


Drengenberg says gaskets, seals, and o-rings in the pump, hose or handle could
deteriorate and mean leaking fuel at the pump:


“With this type of fuel, ethanol, we’re mostly worried about fire hazards. If there is a
leak – let’s say for some reason ethanol attacked a gasket or a seal on a dispenser,
you could have a fuel leak – the fuel leak could be very dangerous in that any spark
could set it off. You could have a fire or possibly an explosion. So, that is the
concern that we have, certainly. And that is why we’re developing requirements for
these ethanol dispensers.”


UL expects to issue requirements for equipment by the end of the year. In the
meantime, whether the tanks and pumps offering E-85 at your gas station are safe is
up to the judgment of the local fire chief, fire marshal, or other local official.


For the Environment Report, this is Lester Graham.

Related Links

Corn Ethanol: Higher Food Prices

Some people are warning there are hidden costs
to the drive for ethanol. The demand for corn-based
ethanol for fuel has pushed the price of corn close
to the highest price it’s been in 10 years. In the
first of our two-part series on ethanol, Rebecca Williams
reports that economists say the push for more ethanol will
mean higher prices at the supermarket:

Transcript

Some people are warning there are hidden costs
to the drive for ethanol. The demand for corn-based
ethanol for fuel has pushed the price of corn close
to the highest price it’s been in 10 years. In the
first of our two-part series on ethanol, Rebecca Williams
reports that economists say the push for more ethanol will
mean higher prices at the supermarket:


(Sound of burger sizzling)


Everything in your classic American meal has one thing in common.


(Sound of soda can opening and fizzing)


The burger, chips, soda, even the ketchup. They all depend on corn.


Cows eat corn. Chips have corn oil in them. And your soda and ketchup
have high fructose corn syrup as a main ingredient. Supermarkets are
loaded with food that has something to do with corn.


And lately, corn’s been near its highest price in ten years. The price
has nearly doubled. Everyone from livestock producers to beverage
companies has been feeling the squeeze of more expensive corn. And
that’s been starting to show up at the grocery store.


The US Department of Agriculture predicts our food is going to get more
expensive this year, and maybe for many years to come.


Ephraim Leibtag is a USDA economist. He says we’ll probably be paying
between two and a half and three and a half percent more this year at
the store:


“That’s on average for your food bill. So if you’re buying an average
basket of products and you spend $100 when you go to the store, now
you’ll be spending $103. But you’ll see it first in products most
related to corn. In addition you’ll see some after-effects because if
more corn is produced that may drive up the price of other commodities
if the tradeoff in land is between, let’s say, corn and other potential farm
products.”


So if farmers plant more corn for ethanol instead of soybeans, that
will drive up the price of soybeans, and in turn, the food that’s made
from them.


It turns out that’s exactly what farmers are planning to do this year.
A recent USDA report says farmers will be planting 12 million more
acres of corn than last year… and less soybeans, and rice.


Leibtag says high corn prices have been great for corn farmers, but he
says it’s been rough on a lot of other people:


“If you use corn as a main ingredient you’ve already noticed your costs
go up quite a bit. Some companies have explored the possibility of
substituting or using other products. But certainly producers of livestock and
poultry have higher feed costs. They have to think about exactly how they’re
going to produce their product when one of their inputs goes up 20, 30,
50, 80 percent in price.”


Ethanol backers say it’s just a matter of time before the market will
adjust to more expensive corn. Bob Dinneen is the president of the
Renewable Fuels Association:


“Corn prices are indeed going up… Our own industry is paying more for feedstock for ethanol today. But
at the end of the day, as the marketplace adjusts, we’ll be able to grow
more than sufficient grain to satisfy the country’s demand for food,
fuel and fiber and rural America will be better for it.”


But others argue it won’t be possible to have it all forever. Lester
Brown is the president of the Earth Policy Institute:


“Usually in the past, rises in food prices come when we have a poor
harvest somewhere in the world as a result of weather and therefore is temporary. It usually
lasts a year or so and weather comes back to normal and we get a good
harvest again. What we’re looking at now is continuous pressure on
prices as far as we can comfortably see in the future, simply because in
agricultural terms, the demand for automotive fuel is insatiable.”


Brown says we’re at risk of trading food for ethanol fuel. And he says
it’s not just going to impact food prices in the US. It’s also going
to affect food supplies worldwide, especially in developing countries.


“The biggest effects are hitting people in other countries who consume
corn more directly, like Mexico for example, which has a corn-based diet and there
the price of tortillas has gone up about 60 percent.”


Brown says many US politicians have what he calls “ethanol euphoria.”
He’s called for a moratorium on licensing new ethanol plants. He wants
the government to think about whether it makes sense to keep
subsidizing ethanol made from corn.


Many people, even some in the ethanol industry, say ethanol from corn
is a limited solution. So researchers are looking for ways to make
ethanol from other sources, such as woody plants like switchgrass.


In the meantime, ethanol from corn is still the most viable option.
Economists say if corn gets diverted into ethanol on a large scale,
that might mean we’ll all be paying higher food prices for the next
several years.


For the Environment Report, I’m Rebecca Williams.

Related Links

States Slow to Pump Up Ethanol

  • As the price of gasoline rises, many states are looking for alternatives. One of those alternatives is the ethanol blend, E-85. But, some states (like Ohio) are not keeping up with the trend. (Photo by Lester Graham)

The federal government is focusing new attention on research and development of ethanol. Some states – especially those in the corn belt – are getting into the act too. The GLRCs Karen Kasler reports:

Transcript

The federal government is focusing new attention on research and
development of ethanol. Some states – especially those in the corn belt –
are getting into the act too. The GLRC’s Karen Kasler reports:


Now that gasoline is near or above three dollars a gallon, ethanol seems
to be everywhere. The Renewable Fuels Association says more than a
third of the gasoline in the U.S is blended with ethanol, an alcohol based
fuel made with the sugar found in corn and other grains. A 10 percent
ethanol/gasoline blend can be used in every vehicle on the road, but
many politicians and consumers are very interested in the 85 percent
ethanol blend – E-85 – as an alternative fuel for cars and trucks. But
getting E-85 to drivers who have cars which can use it isn’t that easy.


Tadd Nicholson with the Ohio Corn Growers Association, says part of
the problem is the big oil companies have banned E-85 pumps under the
canopies at branded stations.


“Oil companies don’t own ethanol production. They own oil refining,
and so that’s their profit center and that’s where they get their fuel and so
they have a lot of control over that. They don’t own ethanol. I don’t
know why. They should, but they aren’t in the ethanol ownership
business yet. I say ‘yet’.”


The governors of Wisconsin and Minnesota have asked the big oil
companies to change their E-85 policy, and some states have been
encouraging independent gasoline dealers to put in E-85 pumps for a few
years.


But others, such as Ohio, have been lagging behind in the trend. Only
recently has Ohio launched a new energy action plan that sounds
ambitious, when it comes to providing access to ethanol to drivers.


LeeAnn Mizer is with the Ohio Department of Agriculture.


“The goal is to triple the amount of E-85 pumps available to Ohio
consumers by the end of 2006.”


That sounds like a lot – but it’s not, says Dwayne Seikman heads up the
Ohio Corn Growers Association.


“Tripling’s a nice start. There’s six… that would go to 18. But with over
150,000 vehicles in the state of Ohio, that’s not enough to cover the
effort.”


Since corn is Ohio’s top crop… it would seem to make sense. But unlike
other states in the corn belt, there are no ethanol plants in operation in
Ohio, though there are at least three under construction, and ethanol
supporters say the state is way behind its neighbors when it comes to
getting ethanol pumps at service stations.


Sam Spofforth is executive director of Clean Fuels Ohio.


“I’ll be honest, we’d like to see a lot more and we think a lot more is
certainly very possible. Indiana, they’re up to about 25 to 30 stations.
Illinois has over a hundred. Minnesota has almost 200 at this point.
Even places like Arizona are putting in E-85. They don’t make any corn
in Arizona. We think Ohio can do a lot more.”


Some critical studies have found that ethanol has a high energy cost with
low benefits – ethanol supporters say that’s been debunked. Whether
ethanol makes economic or ecological sense or not is still not certain.
But one thing is certain – cars using ethanol blends need to fill up more
than those using regular unleaded gasoline.


Robert White with the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition says that’s
offset because typically ethanol-blended fuels cost less than regular
unleaded gas.


“Well, no doubt the fuel economy is the only negative with E-85, and we
tell folks that is where the price differential hopefully is there to make
E-85 use a wash.”


Part of the reason the price is lower is because the ethanol industry is
heavily subsidized by the government. Those lower costs would quickly
disappear if the subsidies were removed. Because ethanol is cleaner
burning, many support further development and use of the renewable
fuel.


General Motors is increasing the number of vehicles it produces that can
burn ethanol. Ford already produces E-85 burning cars and trucks.
However, many believe for ethanol production to be truly efficient,
farmers will have to start growing crops such as switch grass for ethanol
because corn requires too much fossil fuel based fertilizer and other
inputs to make it a permanent solution.


For GLRC, I’m Karen Kasler.

Related Links