1

NOTE: DATE: January

15 , 2010 TO: Docket EPA

- HQ
- OAR
- 2005
- 0161 FROM: Jeff Herzog, Mechanical Engineer, U.S. EPA SUBJECT: Department of Energy (DOE ) / Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) / Underwriters Laboratories ( UL ) Conference C all s on Renewable Fu els Retail Distribution Infrastructure May 13, 2009 Conference Call: Participants : Wendy Clark, National Renewable Energy L aboratory

(NREL) Kristi Moriarty , NREL Marc Goodman, Department of Energy ( DOE ) Dennis Smith, DOE Douglas Horne, Clean Vehicle Edu cation Foundation (CVEF) Ken Bo yc e, Underwriters L aboratories (UL) Jeff Herzog, EPA, Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) Discussion Items:
• Th e actions needed to propose changes to the I nternational Code Council (ICC) International Fire Code to accommodate the presence of a mid

- level ethanol blend at fuel retail facilities should a waiver be granted by EPA for a mid

- level ethanol blend

. • Recent press articles regarding the potential introduction of a mid

- level ethanol bl end at retail facilities. May 27, 2009 Conference Call: Participants : Kristi Moriarty , National Renewable Energy L aboratory

(NREL) Marc Goodman, Department of Energy ( DOE ) Dennis Smith, DOE Douglas Horne, Clean Vehicle Education Foundation (CVEF) Ken Bo y ce, Underwriters L aboratories (UL) Jeff Herzog, EPA, Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) Discussion Items:
• Proposal to amend the In ternational Code Council (I CC) International Fire Code to accommodate the potential presence of mid

- level ethanol blends at fuel retail facilities.2

• Evaluation by

manufactures of on

- highway fuel tankers regarding the compatibility

of aluminum tank vessels for transport of E85.
• Testing plans to evaluate the compatibility of retail f uel dispensers for use with mid

- level ethanol blends. June 10, 2009 Conference Call: Participants : Wendy Clark, National Renewable Energy L aboratory

(NREL) Kristi Moriarty , NREL Marc Goodman, Department of Energy ( DOE ) Dennis Smith, DOE Douglas Horne, C lean Vehicle Education Foundation (CVEF) Tim Theiss, Oakridge National L aboratory (ORNL) Thomas Chapin, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Andrea Barbery , EPA , Office of Underground Storage Tanks (OUST) Fran Kremer, EPA, Office of Research and Development (ORD ) Jeff Herzog, EPA , Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) Discussion Items:
• April 28, 2009 DOE /NREL call with the Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI ), update on harvesting PEI retail fuel dispenser equipment , and status of mid

- level ethanol test blends

. • Upcoming DOE/NRELmeetings with industry associations such as the American Petroleum Institute (API), and PEI , regarding testing plans to evaluate the suitability of retail fuel dispenser/storage hardware with mid

- level ethanol blends
• History

of replacement of retail fuel d i spensers, storage tanks etc.
• Public testimony

given at June 9, 2009 at the EPA public h earing on proposed increase in the renewable fuel standard
• Recent DOE /NREL call with the Clean Cities Coordinators re testing of retail fuel dispenser/storage hardware with mid

- level ethanol blends

. July 8 , 2009 Conference Call: Participants : Teresa Alleman, National Renewable Energy L aboratory

(NREL) Wendy Clark, NREL Kristi Moriarty , NREL Michael Cass, Oakridge National Laboratories (ORNL ) Tim Theiss, ORNL Marc Goodman, Department of Energy (DOE) Douglas Horne, Clean Vehicle Education Foundation (CVEF) Ken Bo yc e, Underwriters L aboratories (UL) Clare Kammer, UL Andrea Barbery , EPA, Office of Underground Storage Tanks (OUST) Fran Kremer, EPA, Office of Research and Development (ORD)3 Joseph Sopata, EPA, Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) Jeff Herzog, EPA, OTAQ Discussion Items:
• T esting plans for above and below ground retail fuel handling components to help evaluate the suitability of their use with a mid

- level ethanol blend

. • Ethanol s takeholders discussion on E15 vs. E85 August 12 , 2009 Conference Call: Participants : Teresa Alleman, Nationa l Renewable Energy L aboratory

(NREL) Wendy Clark, NREL Kristi Moriarty , NREL Michael Cass, Oakridge National Laboratories (ORNL ) Tim Theiss, ORNL Marc Goodman, Department of Energy (DOE) Alicia L indor

- Thomson, DOE Douglas Horne, Clean Vehicle Education Foundation (CVEF) Ken Bo yc e, Underwriters L aboratories (UL) Clare Kammer, UL Thomas Chapin, UL Andrea Barbery , EPA, Office of Underground Storage Tanks (OUST) Fran Kremer, EPA, Office of Research and Development (ORD) Jeff Herzog, EPA, Office of Transportatio n and Air Quality (OTAQ) Discussion Items:
• R elationship of August 10 th announcement by UL of a new certification pathway for retail fuel dispensers to cover ethanol blends up to E25 to existing UL certification requirements that cover up to an E10 blend and those that cover up to an E85 blend. http://www.ul.com/global/eng/pages/corporate/news room/newsitem.jsp?n=ul
- announces new - certification
- path
- for
- ethanol
- fuel_20090810122400 • Status of test program to evaluate the compatibility of retail dispensers and UST sy stems for use with an E15 ethanol blend that were originall y certified t o handle up to an E10 blend September 2 , 2009 Conference Call: Participants : Teresa Alleman, National Renewable Energy L aboratory

(NREL) Wendy Clark, NREL Kristi Moriarty , NREL Michael Cass, Oakridge National Laboratories (ORNL ) Tim Theiss, ORNL Marc Go odman, Department of Energy (DOE)4 Dennis Smith, DOE Alicia L indor

- Thomson, DOE Douglas Horne, Clean Vehicle Education Foundation (CVEF) Andrea Barbery , EPA, Office of Underground Storage Tanks Ken Bo yc e, Underwriters L aboratories (UL) Clare Kammer, UL Thom as Chapin, UL Fran Kremer, EPA, Office of Research and Development Joe Sopata, EPA, Office of Transportation and Air Quality Jeff Herzog, EPA, Office of Transportation and Air Quality Discussion Items: • S tatus of test program to evaluate the compatibility of retail dispensers and UST sy stems for use with an E15 ethanol blend that were originall y certified to handle up to an E10 blend

. • S tatus requirements for ethanol blender pumps September 17 , 2009 Conference Call: Participants : Kri sti Moriarty , National Renewable Energy L aboratory

(NREL ) Marc Goodman, Department of Energy (DOE) Douglas Horne, Clean Vehicle Education Foundation (CVEF) Ken Bo yc e, Underwriters L aboratories (UL) Joe Sopata, EPA, Office of Transportation and Air Quality Jeff Herzog, EPA, Office of Transportation and Air Quality Discussion Items:
• September 16, 2009 meeting between DOE and the American Petroleum Institute’s (API’s) Mid

- Level Ethanol Blends Research Coordination Group . API further discussed the continued uncertaint y regarding how test data on the compatibility

of exiting retail fuel equipment with E15 might be used to help sat isfy Authorities who Have Jurisdiction ( AHJ ) , Occupational Safet y and Health ( OSHA ) , insurance, and other authorities concerns in the absence of a Underwriter’s Laboratories ( UL ) cert ification which is no rmally required. API discussed their plans to evaluate the compatibility of in

- use Stage I vapor recovery equipment, storage tanks, an d flame arrestors with E15. API also discu ssed their plans to evaluate potential measures to prevent misfueling equipment that may

not be tolerant of E15 if a partial waiver for E15 is granted. APIcontacted OSHA regarding whether OSHA might be able to accept something other than a UL certificat ion to satisfy their requirements for fuel retail equipment.5

September 30 , 2009 Conference Call: Participants : Teresa Alleman, National Renewable Energy L aboratory

(NREL) Kristi Moriarty , NREL Tim Theiss, Oakridge National L aboratory (ORNL) Marc Goodman , Department of Energy (DOE) Kevin Stork, DOE Douglas Horne, Clean Vehicle Education Foundation (CVEF) Andrea Barbery , EPA, Office of Underground Storage Tanks (OUST) Ken Bo yc e, Underwriters L aboratories (UL) Thomas Chapin, UL Clare Kammer, UL Joe Sopata , EPA, Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) Jeff Herzog , EPA, OTAQ Discussion Items:
• Underground storage tank leak detection protocols
• Update on testing of materials used in retail dispenser equipment for compatibility

with mid

- level ethanol blends
• Marathon’s decision to discontinue sales of E85. DOE/Marathon evaluation of potential safet y concerns with E85 blends containing 68% ethanol. Implications if butane blending is needed to meet minimum ASTM volatilit y specifications for E85. Pote n t ial to reduce to the minimum ethanol concentration of ethanol in E85 below 68%. Potential n eed for judgement b y DOE/FTC that this would be necessary /appropriate. October 14 , 2009 Conference Call: Participants: Kristi Moriarty , National Renewable E nergy L aboratory

(NREL) Tim Theiss, Oakridge National L aboratory (ORNL) Marc Goodman, Department of Energy (DOE) Douglas Horne, Clean Vehicle Education Foundation (CVEF) Clare Kammer, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Andrea Barbery , EPA, Office of Undergroun d Storage Tanks (OUST) Jeff Herzog, EPA, Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) Discussion Items:
• Underground storage tank sy stem mid

- level blends compatibility testing plans
• Update on testing of materials used in retail dispenser equipment for compatibility

with mid

- level ethanol blends
• ASTM plans to ballot a change to minimum ethanol specification in ASTM E85 standard. Current ballot would adjust minimum ethanol specification from 70% to 68%. A further adjustment to a lower minimum eth anol concentration is expected to be discussed at the upcoming ASTM meeting in December.6

October 28 , 2009 Conference Call: Participants: Kristi Moriarty , National Renewable Energy L aboratory

(NREL) Tim Theiss, Oakridge National L aboratory (ORNL) Marc Go odman, Department of Energy (DOE) Douglas Horne, Clean Vehicle Education Foundation (CVEF) Joseph Sopata, EPA, Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) Jeff Herzog, EPA, (OTAQ) Discussion Items:
• Update on testing of materials used in retail dispe nser equipment for compatibility

with mid

- level ethanol blends
• Potential impacts on emissions and equipment durability of misfueling non

- flex fuel vehicles with E85 . DOE related that wrt the short term effects, the vehicle can be hard to start and the on - board diagnostics code for misfire or fuel trim may be activated. In the long term, fuel level senders and fuel pumps could experience reduced durability . Some catal ys t failures were experienced at high speed when the fuel pump started to loose flow c apacit y.
• Results of International Code Council (I C C) Association meeting regarding changes to the International al Fire Code (IFC) were discussed

. The i ndustry proposal to allow something other than standards body listing to suffice for retail fuel di spensing/storage equipment failed. Thus, if a waiver is granted for a mid

level ethanol blend, Authorities who Have Jurisdiction (AHJs) would need to grant a waiver of the (IFC) requirement in order for existing retail fuel handling equipment (originally certified for E10) to be used for a mid

- level ethanol blend.
• Interaction of Energy Policy Act ( EPACT ) definition of an alternative fuel with ASTM minimum ethanol specification for E85. The Department of Energy (DOE) interprets the definition of an alte rnative fuel as specified under the EPACT. The current ASTM I nternational ballot regarding the minimum ethanol concentration for E85 would adjust the minimum ethanol concentration to 68% from the current specification of 70% to assist in meeting the minimum volatility specification for E85. This proposed change would be consistent with the minimum ethanol concentration for to meet the definition of an alternative fuel under the EPACT as interpreted b y DOE. If it is determined the ASTM minimum ethanol spe cification needs to be further reduced, the n the resulting fuel may fall outside of the definition of an alternative fuel a s defined by the EPACT and may not benefit from the requirements regarding the use of alternative fuel b y fleets as provided in the E PACT. January 6, 2010 Conference Call: Participants : Wendy Clark, National Renewable Energy L aboratory

(NREL) Teresa Alleman, NREL7 Kristi Moriarty , NREL Marc Goodman, Department of Energy (DOE) Dennis Smith, DOE Michael Cass, Oakridge National Laboratori es (ORNL ) Tim Theiss, ORNL Andrea Barbery , EPA, Office of Underground Storage Tanks (OUST) Jeff Herzog, EPA, Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ) Discussion Items:
• Th e results of the Coordinating Research Council (CRC) Testing on E85 fuel quality , with focus on the prevalence of noncompliance with minimum ASTM International vapor pressure specifications.
• Th e recent meeting of the ASTM committee that is considering changes to the minimum ethanol content specification for E85 t o facilitate compliance with ASTM minimum vapor press ure specifications

.