To the editor:
There are some issues brought to my attention in the last few days that cause me to share my recent findings. The Issue is “Ethanol”, E-10 which is 90 percent gasoline and 10 percent alcohol this is what will be available in most gasoline stations. This has been endorsed by most governors including Baldacci. Gasoline blended with alcohol is widely available. It is not legally required to be labeled as such in many states, but in Maine it will have an E-10 sticker located on the gas pump. This is highly flammable, and difficult to extinguish in a fire situation issue. Fuels with an alcohol content that tend to absorb moisture from the air. Water and alcohol mixture becomes highly corrosive and quickly deteriorates rubber and metal components within the fuel system.
Now we have put our trust in the gas stations that they check their storage tanks, frequently for the water content so that the separation is not happening in the tanks. Phase separation happens when there is enough water present to mix with ethanol and causing a percentage of the ethanol to settle at the bottom with the water. The ethanol water mix will not burn and the remaining fuel on top will have a lower octane rating and most likely will not burn appropriately to power your vehicle.
This type of fuel is also not the best for 2-cycle engines. The alcohol is a solvent which counteracts the fuel/oil mix and will therefore reduce the amount of lubrication in a two-stroke engine receives during operation. 1 percent water in fuel will cause the alcohol/ water mixture to separate from the gasoline. Gasohol is also very corrosive to aluminum and magnesium. These are two alloys which are used to manufacture many parts on the two-stroke engines to reduce their weight. Also the alcohol greatly increases the probability of vapor lock condition in the two-cycle engines.
Many unexplained engine failures will be in a direct result of the Gasohol fuel. The way condensation in the winter times would easily separate and the alcohol mixture in any tank snowmobiles, and our cars, 1 percent is not that much unless the person keep their tank full with gas so there is little room for the water mixture.
With the way the economy is now, how is E-10 economically sound for this state. Gov. Baldacci wants to push the “Green Initiatives” but has pushed the wrong thing this time in not looking at all the facts and causes of the effects, of increased cost for repairs on the consumer, vehicle owner, small convenience stores that will not be able to foot the costs of the filters in the big tanks and monitoring equipment to keep the percentage gas/ethanol ratio. This cost is again hitting the middle class and lower class that have to pay more in repairs and replacement of machinery and maybe driving the older year cars that will not be Ethanol compatible. The vehicle being 10 years old or older may not be able to except the 1 % of ethanol thus causing potential huge damage, and not being able to repair the damage without great costs. What if the gas company doesn’t keep up on the test and the level of the water content is too much thus causing more damage? More cost?
I would suggest people ask the Governor what he was thinking about the costs and the changes. I have taken a small engine course and found out this is a big deal with the small engines and may require large repairs or even replacement, because of poor octane gas and water mixture with engine parts.
Industrial firefighters and their municipal fire-fighting partners need to take a long, hard look at their ability to deal with burning ethanol. About 3.6 billion gallons of ethanol were produced last year in the United States. Events such as New Brighton show that although ethanol is still a relatively small percentage of the fuel used in the U.S. that percentage is growing. The chance of firefighters encountering an ethanol fire is increasing every day. Firefighters will have to be increasingly savvy about the peculiarities of this additive to protect themselves and others. With the right foam in the right system and the right training, we may learn to deal with ethanol as just another typical work day.
Do you want to have a choice in regular fuel, or just be told to use Ethanol, E-10 and take the complications and costs that go with that E-10? Please contact your state government and let them know what your choice is!
Caribou
