Legislation (H.B. 187) requiring ethanol content labels on all pumps that dispense ethanol-blended gasoline has been signed into law by North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue. The new law requires these labels to indicate that the gasoline contains 10% or less ethanol or greater than 10% ethanol. Previously, retailers operating pumps dispensing ethanol-blended gasoline were not required to post labels regarding ethanol content. The new law also includes a provision allowing retailers to post labels that include more detailed information than required.
Ethanol increases water formation in the fuel system, especially when the vehicle sits over a period of time. Under these conditions, formic acid is created which corrodes metals, plastics and rubber. This can lead to engine/parts failures and, potentially, safety hazards. Many products on the market, including older cars, special interest collector vehicles and historic vehicles, use materials that are incompatible with ethanol. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been urged by SAN and other organizations to create national labeling requirements for ethanol blended gasoline that are placed as close as possible to the pump's product selection mechanism, but since such requirements are not currently in place, vehicle owners must rely on state labeling requirements for information about the gasoline they use in their vehicles.
SAN applauds the actions of the North Carolina legislature and Governor in enacting this important piece of legislation and maintains that auto enthusiasts have a right to know what blend of ethanol is going into their collector cars.