EPA to Revise Or Eliminate E15 Pump Labels

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a Notice of Public Rulemaking in January regarding labels on E15 fuel dispensers that could result in more confusion for motorcyclists and lead to inadvertent use of unapproved fuels by riders.

In the notice, the EPA proposed two changes to the current E15 fuel pump labels. The first is modification of the current label, and the second is removal of the label altogether. However, there would still be a label on the pumps, as required by the Federal Trade Commission. The EPA’s modified label proposal contains these possible changes:

• Removing the “Attention” stripe along the upper right corner of the label.
• Removing the phrase “E15” from the label, while including the language “contains up to 15% percent ethanol.”
• Revising the language “Use only in” to “Safe for use in.”
• Revising the language “Don’t use in” to “Avoid use in.”
• Revising the format of the word “prohibited” so it is not in bold and italicized type.

The AMA believes either option presents potential harm for riders, whose motorcycles and ATVs are not EPA-certified to use fuel containing more than 10 percent ethanol by volume (E10).