Report

Ohio gas station accidentally sells pure ethanol as gasoline

The US Department of Energy lists 91 stations in the state of Ohio that dispense an 85-percent ethanol blend (aka E85). Unfortunately, one unlisted station in the Buckeye State took the biofuel a step further earlier this week. The GetGo station in Brunswick, about 25 miles southwest of Cleveland, accidentally served pure ethanol from its 87-octane tanks. An estimated 500 cars were served the ol' moonshine between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning, the Ohio's Medina Gazette reports.

Giant Eagle, which owns the station, was quick to say that vehicles built to handle "flex fuel" wouldn't be damaged. As for the others? Well, the company said to pretty much said to hustle the car – via tow truck – to a mechanic and call Giant Eagle to get reimbursed for their troubles. So this should be fun.

Ethanol has been a hot-button issue of sorts as proponents have pushed for higher blends in gasoline for the sake of cutting down foreign petroleum dependency, while opponents say, among other things, that more ethanol can mean more engine damage. The discussion usually revolves around changing the common blend level from 10 percent ethanol (E10) to 15-percent ethanol content (E15). In late June, the US Supreme Court blocked an effort to make sales of E15 illegal but E85 has long been fine to sell from specially market pumps. It's when you pump out E100 without telling anyone that you can run into problems.

Share This Photo X