Following approval last month by the Florida Senate of legislation to repeal the requirement that all gasoline offered for sale in the state contain a percentage of ethanol, Florida Gov. Rick Scott has signed the rule into law.
Under the previous law, the Florida Renewable Fuels Standard required that all gasoline sold or offered for sale by a terminal supplier, importer, blender or wholesaler in Florida contain 9%–10% ethanol, or other alternative fuel, by volume.
According to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), ethanol increases water formation, which can then corrode metals, plastics and rubber, especially over a period of time when the vehicle is not used. Current high-performance specialty parts along with pre-model-year ’01 cars and parts may be most susceptible to corrosion.
The life span of vehicles and equipment can be dramatically reduced with the wrong fuel and owners are often confronted with breakdowns. While the ethanol mandate did not apply to fuel used in collector vehicles, off-road vehicles, motorcycles or small engines, there has been an inability to obtain unblended gasoline for engines that may be damaged by ethanol.
For more on ethanol legislation, see:
Maine bill to prohibit ethanol-blended gas signed into law; total ban fails senate vote
E15 gas will stay: Court won’t rehear EPA ethanol case
