Oregon Is A Mandatory E10 State

The Oregon law is HB-2210, which was passed in mid 2007 and triggered and began implementation on 1 October 2007. This was the only mandatory E10 law passed by a state with absolutely no exceptions whatsoever and did it cause a mess. Nobody has ever offered an explanation as to why no legislator knew what was in the other three mandatory E10 laws that states had passed before Oregon. Suffice it to say, none of the current six mandatory E10 laws is anything alike. In 2008 the Oregon legislature passed an emergency measure, SB-1079 that granted certain users an exemption to buy ethanol free gasoline if they can find a source, i.e. that marine industry, aviation, antique but not classic cars, small engines used in recreation vehicles and portable tools, etc. Like every other mandatory E10 state that grants exceptions, SB-1079 does not include any statutory requirement that ethanol free gasoline be made available.

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Prohibit Ethanol Blending In All Premium Unleaded Gasoline

Every mandatory E10 state has exemptions to their blending law, because there are a number of piston engine applications that should not, and some that cannot, use ethanol blended gasoline. Unfortunately the exemptions are not uniform. They vary from only one exemption in Washington, aircraft, to a universal exemption of premium unleaded in Missouri. All states exempt aircraft usage, but most states like Oregon and Washington make it almost impossible to get unblended gasoline. Oregon is the only state that allows for unblended regular and premium gasoline for the exemptions, and then makes it almost impossible to get any unblended gasoline. All other mandatory ethanol states just allow clear premium unleaded gasoline for the exempted classes.

The following piston engine applications should not use ethanol blended gasoline:

• Any 2 cycle engine used in tools, watercraft, snowmobiles, etc., or small 4 cycle engines.
• Any engines used in an emergency stationary engine application like a generator or a pump, especially in a humid climate.
• All watercraft. Ethanol blended gasoline should never be used in a marine environment.
• Antique and classic cars and classic motorcycles.
• All aircraft.

All of these users must be able to get ethanol free (E0) gasoline. If you live in a state without a mandatory ethanol blending law, you have no exemptions, ethanol will eventually be blended into all of your unleaded gasoline and there is no requirement in EISA 2007 to label gas pumps with ethanol content.

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