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Oct 2, 2008 4:47 PM

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is alerting emergency responders to new and revised proper shipping names and identification numbers that may be used for fuel mixtures composed of ethanol and gasoline in various concentrations, according to PHMSA information.

A guidance chart is available for identifying proper shipping names and identification numbers for ethanol, gasoline, and gasoline/ethanol fuel blends. The chart can be accessed by clicking here.

Fires involving ethanol/gasoline mixtures containing more than 10 percent ethanol, such as E85, should be treated differently than traditional gasoline fires because these mixtures are polar/water-miscible flammable liquids (they mix readily with water) and degrade the effectiveness of non alcohol-resistant fire-fighting foam, according to PHMSA.

For this reason, PHMSA recommends First Responders refer to Guide 127 of the 2008 Emergency Response Guidebook when responding to incidents involving fuel mixtures known to contain or potentially containing more than 10 percent alcohol. Guide 127 specifies the use of alcohol-resistant foam.