The Federal Trade Commission has announced final amendments to its Fuel Rating Rule.
The Rule determines the fuel rating that appears on fuel pump labels, how octane levels are calculated, and helps drivers make informed decisions about what fuel to use when they fill up their vehicles.
In April 2014, the Commission published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking public comment on new rating, certification, and labeling requirements for gasoline blends with more than 10 percent ethanol, known as ethanol blends; and an alternative method to determine the octane rating of gasoline, which is known as infrared spectrophotometry.
The Commission considered the comments received in response as well as recent Environmental Protection Agency decisions on ethanol blends. The final amendments require that fuel marketers rate and certify all ethanol blends with ethanol content ranging from above 10 percent to 83 percent. They also require that retailers post labels with ethanol percentage disclosures and with the statement: “Use only in Flex-Fuel Vehicles/May Harm Other Engines.” They do not adopt the alternative method of determining the octane rating of gasoline.
The Commission vote to approve the Federal Register Notice announcing the final amendments was 4-0. (FTC File No. R811005, Docket No. 57942; the staff contact is Richard Michael Waller, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 202-326-2902)
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