Ethanol

There are three documents regarding converting your existing UST system to E-blend fuel (greater than 10 percent ethanol by volume).  These three are repeated at the end of the page in both Word and .pdf format.  The first document, Ethanol Conversion, is a guidance document explaining the DNR's concern with E-blend fuel.

The second document, Ethanol Checklist, is a checklist of procedures to follow when converting to E-blend fuel.  If you are thinking of dedicating a fuel path to E-blend, read this checklist carefully and consult your Iowa licensed installer.  The owner/operator and the Iowa licensed installer must complete the checklist.  The items on page 1 of the checklist must be compatible in order to store E-Blend.  Before converting to E-85, owners/operators and an Iowa licensed installer or professional engineer are asked to complete the checklist and submit a signed copy to the DNR. 

In 2005, a cooperative effort involving the DNR, the Fire Marshal Division of the Iowa Department of Public Safety, the Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Stores of Iowa, PMMIC, Iowa Petroleum Equipment Contractors Association, and the renewable fuels industry resulted in the development of rules adopted by the Fire Marshal.  These rules allow dispensing of E-85 with equipment which is not listed by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or an independent testing laboratory for such use. The 2006 Iowa Legislature extended the deadline for dispensers to July 1, 2009. While owners/operators may not be able to buy a UL Marked E-blend dispenser, there are compatible dispenser components available that should be used for E-blend fuel (such as hoses, nozzles, emergency shutoff valves, etc.).  Consult Petroleum Equipment Institute’s (PEI) website for compatible equipment.

The 2006 Iowa Legislature also made grant money available for converting existing UST systems. For more information and a grant application see the Iowa Renewable Fuels (IRFA) website.   The IRFA website contains a lot of important information regarding marketing renewable fuels in Iowa.

The third document, Ethanol Inspection Form, relates to the dispenser phase-in. Owners/operators must inspect their dispensers daily for leaks and equipment failure. Record your observations on the inspection form and try to keep it on site or readily available.

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to view the .pdf file. Click on the icon at the bottom of this screen to download Acrobat Reader. The .doc files are Word 97 documents and may be completed electronically.