During the 2011 legislative session, the N.C. General Assembly directed the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA) to develop rules governing the labeling requirements for all fuel pumps that offer ethanol-blended gasoline for retail sale.

NCDA has issued the proposed regulation and is seeking comments from the public. The regulation would require that fuel pumps dispensing ethanol-blended gasoline contain labels stating that the fuel “Contains 10% Ethanol” or “May Contain Up to 10% Ethanol.”

Many consumers in North Carolina may be unaware that, when they fill up at their local station, they are putting biofuels into their cars and trucks. In North Carolina, the large majority (85 to 90 percent) of fuel retailers are selling gasoline blended with 10-percent ethanol, or E10. The regulation will ensure that the motoring public in North Carolina is better informed about the types of fuel available for sale in the state.

The text of the proposed regulation can be found in the 15 November 2011 volume of the North Carolina Register by clicking here. Comments on the proposed regulation are due by 17 January 2012.