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Ethanol to be permanent in ALL gas in OR

RScott

Well Known Member
In their infinite wisdom the legislature passed HN 2210 last summer mandating ethanol in ALL gas sold in Oregon 3 months after ethanol production capacity in the state reaches 40 million gallons per year. We are at that level now and it will be phased in starting Jan 15 in the Will. Valley.

THIS INCLUDES AVGAS. No exemption was made for avgas.
The entire 27 page bill can be viewed at: http://www.leg.state.or.us/07reg/measpdf/hb2200.dir/hb2210.en.pdf

More information on ethanol can be had at EAA?s website: http://www.aviationfuel.org/faqs/ethanol_blends.pdf

Contact info for your legislator can be found at http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/home.htm

Some members of the legislature have said it doesn't apply to avgas, but there is nothing in the bill to exempt avgas and it specifically includes leaded gas. Also think LSA and autogas STC's, of which EAA has issued almost 24,000 and Peterson Aviation many more.

The legislature will reconvene in February to consider a limited number of bills. We need to be sure they consider a fix for this problem, such as exempting avgas and premium auto gas, which represents only 8.5% of the autogas market. This will allow folks with autogas STC's, Rotax engines and experimental to have access to ethanol free gas.

Richard Scott
RV-9A Fuselage
Interstate Cadet (w/autogas STC)
 
100LL exempt

From the bill - section 18, part 3:

(d) Complies with or is produced from a gasoline base stock that complies with ASTM International specification D 4814;

100LL is ASTM International specification D 910 - so you guys are safe. But it would be nice if at least one grade of mogas was ethanol free. I understand most other states exempt super premium and boat marinas (ethanol destroys fiberglass fuel tanks.)

I think a few questions need to be definitively answered before ethanol is used in our aircraft:

1) does ethanol react w/ aluminum? There are stories of corrosion.
2) does ethanol react w/ proseal?
3) Are today's mil-spec o-rings used in our fuel systems ethanol resistant?
4) Can mogas w/ 10% ethanol hold enough water in suspension to be a hazard?

After that, there are structural and procedural questions:

1) should you put fuel pumps in the wing roots to avoid vapor lock or (for those of us with/planning FI) is the standard single airflow performance pump sufficient?
2) any change in procedure for when to run the pump - always on? on for takeoff?

Ernie Billing
RV7 - finishing paint in cockpit, planning electrical
San Luis Obispo, CA
 
Ernie,

I hope you are right. That is a section my eyes passed as they were glazed over.

But elsewhere, in Section 10 of the bill it defines gasoline:
[(4)] (6) ?Gasoline? means any fuel sold for use in spark ignition engines whether leaded or unleaded.

Who uses leaded gas other than aircraft? By implication, it sounds like they included avgas whether intentionally or not. How do we know which section of the bill rules?

And motor vehicles are defined as: [(6)] (8) ?Motor vehicles? means all vehicles, vessels, watercraft, engines, machines or mechanical contrivances that are propelled by internal combustion engines or motors. Does not exclude aircraft and it seems to me that aircraft are propelled by internal combustion engines.

It seems to me, and I am not a lawyer, that a farmer or environmentalist could sue the state to force it to include avgas. Perhaps they have wiggle room in the portion of section 18 that says: (4) The department may review specifications adopted by ASTM International, or equivalent organizations, and federal regulations and revise the standards adopted pursuant to this section as necessary.

And we still have the problem of planes such as the antique I currently fly that have problems with 100LL--20 hrs to fouled plugs. TCP can no longer be shipped and the replacement Delcalin is not approved for certificated aircraft.

If you or anyone else have some expertise in this field and can help us through this, I would appreciate it.

Richard Scott
RV-9A Fuselage
1941 Interstate Cadet
 
Clear as mud

Scott,

I suppose no one will really know what this means until the lawyers hash it out. The only reason I was aware of the line identifying ASTM D4814 is that my father will be facing the same problem with the O-300 in his vintage C172 in Redmond, OR (leaded fuel leads to stuck exhaust valves for him.) He seems content that this will be limited to mogas, but it still leaves him high and dry.

If you'd like to get in contact with him (he's been investigating this fairly heavily,) send me a PM and I'll give you his email address.

Ernie
 
Egads....how long until this virus spreads across the nation?

I just ponied up $345 for my STC for the Skywagon.

It would be a hassle for me and the other mogas users, but a hit to the bottom line for Petersen and EAA.
 
Missouri & Montana exempted premium autogas. It appears that Wisconsin did the same but I get different stories for Wisconsin, so I don't know exactly what they did.

Washington exempted only premium autogas which is sold at airports for use in aircraft but good luck on finding an airport with autogas. Some have it, most don't. I think Idaho did the same as Washington. I think in Washington and Idaho they did what they did so they can tell themselves they didn't actually screw GA, but for all practical purposes they did unless you live near one of the few airports with autogas.

It seems the best approach is for GA to push legislatures which want to mandate ethanol to do the same as Montana and Missouri. Premium represents 8.5% of the autogas market according to Dept. of Energy stats, so they can have almost all their fuel in with ethanol and still let GA fly.
 
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