Post-Sandy EPA gas waiver could lead to problems
November 14, 2012, 02:32 pm
Ethanol is the most common oxygenate in gasoline, but Hurricane Sandy disrupted the supply of the gas and will therefore affect oil companies' ability to provide gasoline that is ready for sale.
According to CNBC, total East Coast demand for gasoline is nearly 3.1 million barrels a day; New England uses 400,000 barrels each day, the Mid-Atlantic uses 1.2 million and the Lower Atlantic uses 1.5 million per day. With most of the ethanol delivered by rails, fuel supply is greatly impacted when a storm causes rails to shut down.
The Environmental Protection Agency regulates the use of an oxygenate in gasoline in certain areas of the U.S. because it lowers carbon monoxide emissions. The Northeast, recently devastated by the hurricane, is considered one of the reformulated gas areas.
The Chicago Tribune reported that on October 31, in order to ensure fuel supply in states affected by Sandy, the EPA is lifting the oxygenate requirement through November 20.
“I have determined that an ‘extreme and unusual fuel supply circumstance’ exists that will prevent the distribution of an adequate supply of gasoline to consumers,” Lisa Jackson, the head of the EPA, said in a November 7 letter on Wednesday to governors of the states, the Tribune reported.
The EPA received requests from New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania and 13 other states to lift requirements to sell reformulated gas in areas with high amounts of smog. Under the new EPA waiver, fuel retailers will be allowed to sell conventional gasoline in place of the reformulated gasoline, and certain states will be allowed to mix the two gasolines in an attempt to get supply going again.
This means that gasoline being provided for aircraft could cause problems when used, such as failure to start, lower mileage and knocking. Damage could be caused by the fuel, and failure might not be seen until months down the road, making it hard to prove the cause of failure was the reformulated fuel.
The EPA could put forth a ban on the use of any ethanol in premium fuel to conserve its supply and exempt premium fuel from EPA reformulated gasoline requirements. This would also abide by aviation requirements for lead free alternatives to avgas.
Pilots, especially in the areas affected by Hurricane Sandy, should consider purchasing pilot insurance to protect finances from unexpected emergencies like a storm and the many areas it impacts.
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