FTC BROADENS OCTANE POSTING RULE

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has amended its octane certification and posting rule to include alternative liquid automotive fuels. The alternative fuels include those that contain methanol and ethanol. The amended rule will require sellers of alternative liquid auto fuels to determine, certify, and post on fuel pumps an "automotive fuel rating." This rating, for gasoline, is the octane number. For alternative liquid fuels, it is the common name of the fuel and the amount of the main

Aug. 2, 1993

2 min read

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has amended its octane certification and posting rule to include alternative liquid automotive fuels.

The alternative fuels include those that contain methanol and ethanol.

The amended rule will require sellers of alternative liquid auto fuels to determine, certify, and post on fuel pumps an "automotive fuel rating."

This rating, for gasoline, is the octane number. For alternative liquid fuels, it is the common name of the fuel and the amount of the main component, expressed as a minimum volume percentage. Other components can be disclosed if desired.

For the principal and other components claimed, FTC will require the seller to possess "a reasonable basis, consisting of competent and reliable evidence, for the amounts of the components they post and certify." Specific analysis methods, however, are not required.

FTC said, "The generic automotive fuel rating approach taken with respect to the alternative fuels will provide consumers with information necessary to make informed fuel purchasing decisions and will provide fuel producers and marketers the flexibility to develop and blend fuels appropriate for location and climate and consistent with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and original equipment manufacturer requirements."

The amendments will go into effect Oct. 25. The final rule will soon be published in the Federal Register.

The FTC action is in response to the Energy Policy Act of 1992. The law was designed to establish a comprehensive energy policy, including programs to encourage development and use of alternative fuels and vehicles that use them. Under the act, FTC also is required to establish certification and posting requirements for diesel fuel if it determines such requirements to be necessary.

The commission is deferring a decision on whether to require certification and posting of diesel fuel cetane number, a measure of the fuel's ignition quality. Basis for the postponement is inadequacy of the current rulemaking record to support conclusions about costs and benefits of cetane posting.

FTC concluded that the effect of other regulatory developments in the diesel fuel industry should be observed before a decision is made.