EPA Considers E15 Labeling Change

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is considering changes to its warning labels on service station fuel pumps that will alert motorcyclists, and consumers in general, to the potential dangers of using E15 fuel in some vehicles.

The AMA supports stronger warnings, especially for motorcyclists, about the engine and exhaust-system damage that could occur if using fuel that contains more than 10 percent ethanol. Current federal E15 labels warn of possible engine damage, but do not mention motorcycles specifically.

But the ethanol industry has pressured the federal agency to relax the warning, saying the labels discourage the purchase of higher ethanol blends for use in vehicles certified by the EPA to use them.