Minnesota Session Laws - 1984, Regular Session

  

                         Laws of Minnesota 1984 

                        CHAPTER 459-S.F.No. 1813
           An act relating to motor fuels; setting standards for 
          gasoline and gasoline-alcohol blends; providing 
          testing authority for the weights and measures 
          division of the department of public service; 
          requiring alcohol content disclosure; providing for 
          labeling; appropriating money; amending Minnesota 
          Statutes 1982, sections 296.01, subdivision 3, and by 
          adding a subdivision; 296.05, subdivisions 1, 4, 6, 
          and by adding a subdivision; and 296.22, by adding a 
          subdivision.  
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
    Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1982, section 296.01, is 
amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
    Subd. 2a.  [ALCOHOL.] "Alcohol" means methanol or denatured 
ethanol containing no more than 1.25 weight percent of water. 
The determination of water content shall be made in accordance 
with American Society for Testing and Materials Standard Method 
E-203.  
    Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1982, section 296.01, 
subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
    Subd. 3.  [GASOLINE.] "Gasoline" means:  
    (a) all products commonly or commercially known or sold as 
gasoline (including casinghead and absorption or natural 
gasoline) regardless of their classification or uses; and 
    (b) any liquid prepared, advertised, offered for sale or 
sold for use as or commonly and commercially used as a fuel in 
internal combustion engines, which when subjected to 
distillation in accordance with the standard method of test for 
distillation of gasoline, naphtha, kerosene and similar 
petroleum products (American Society for Testing Materials 
Designation D-86) shows not less than 10 percent distilled 
(recovered) below 347 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees 
Centigrade) and not less than 95 percent distilled (recovered) 
below 464 degrees Fahrenheit (240 degrees Centigrade); provided 
however, that "gasoline" shall not include liquefied gases which 
would not exist as liquids at a temperature of 60 degrees 
Fahrenheit and at a pressure of 14.7 pounds per square inch 
absolute tested by the weights and measures division of the 
department of public service meets the sulfur, distillation 
range, Reid vapor pressure, and copper corrosion requirements 
contained in American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) 
specification number D-439, "Standard Specification for 
Automotive Gasoline."  
    For gasoline that is blended with more than one volume 
percent of denatured ethanol, the gasoline portion of the blend 
or the finished gasoline-ethanol blend must meet the sulfur, 
distillation range, Reid vapor pressure, and copper corrosion 
requirements contained in ASTM D-439.  
    For gasoline that is blended with more than one volume 
percent of methanol, the finished gasoline-methanol blend must 
meet the sulfur, distillation range, Reid vapor pressure, and 
copper corrosion requirements contained in ASTM D-439, and must 
have a currently valid fuel/fuel additive waiver by the United 
States Environmental Protection Agency as provided by United 
States Code, title 42, section 7545.  
    Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1982, section 296.05, 
subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
    Subdivision 1.  [GASOLINE.] No gasoline shall be sold for 
use in motor vehicles unless it shall conform to the following 
specifications:  
    (1) It shall be is free from water, suspended matter, and 
all impurities;  
    (2) The initial boiling point shall not be higher than 131 
degrees Fahrenheit;  
    (3) When 10 percent has been recovered in the receiver, the 
temperature shall not be higher than 167 degrees Fahrenheit;  
    (4) When 50 percent has been recovered in the receiver, the 
temperature shall not be higher than 284 degrees Fahrenheit;  
    (5) When 90 percent has been recovered in the receiver, the 
temperature shall not be higher than 392 degrees Fahrenheit;  
    (6) The end point shall not be higher than 437 degrees 
Fahrenheit;  
    (7) The minimum recovery in the receiver shall be 95 
percent of the volume used for the test except during the months 
of November, December, January, February and March, when the 
minimum recovery shall be 93 percent;  
    (8) The sulphur content shall not be more than 25 
hundredths of one percent;  
    (9) The residue shall not be more than two percent and it 
conforms to the requirements contained in section 296.01, 
subdivision 3.  
    Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1982, section 296.05, 
subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
    Subd. 4.  [TESTS, HOW MADE.] All tests shall be made by the 
weights and measures division of the department of public 
service in accordance with the methods of outlined in the 
American Society for Testing and Materials specifications 
numbered D-439 and D-910.  
    Sec. 5.  Minnesota Statutes 1982, section 296.05, 
subdivision 6, is amended to read: 
    Subd. 6.  [AVIATION GASOLINE.] No aviation gasoline shall 
be received, sold, stored, or withdrawn from storage in this 
state unless it shall conform conforms to the specifications set 
forth in subdivision 1 and the provisions of subdivisions 4 and 
5 shall apply to aviation gasoline American Society for Testing 
and Materials specification number D-910.  
    Sec. 6.  Minnesota Statutes 1982, section 296.05, is 
amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
    Subd. 8.  [ALCOHOL-BLENDED FUELS; DISCLOSURE.] A 
manufacturer, hauler, blender, agent, jobber, consignment agent, 
importer, or distributor who distributes gasoline containing 
alcohol shall state on an invoice, bill of lading, shipping 
paper, or other documentation used in normal and customary 
business practices, the percentages by volume and the types, if 
more than one percent, of alcohols contained in the gasoline; 
except when the gasoline is distributed to the ultimate 
consumer, such as a bulk delivery to a farmer, only the types of 
alcohol must be disclosed.  In determining compliance with this 
subdivision, the weights and measures division of the department 
of public service shall allow a one percent tolerance above or 
below the percentage stated on the documentation.  
    Sec. 7.  Minnesota Statutes 1982, section 296.22, is 
amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
    Subd. 13.  [GASOLINE-ALCOHOL BLENDS; IDENTIFICATION.] When 
gasoline blended with alcohol is sold, offered for sale, or 
dispensed for use in motor vehicles, the dispenser shall be 
clearly marked to identify each type of alcohol, if more than 
one percent by volume, blended with the gasoline.  The marking 
shall consist of a white or yellow adhesive decal not less than 
two inches by six inches with clearly printed black lettering 
not less than one-half inch high and one-eighth inch in stroke. 
The marking shall be conspicuously displayed on the front side 
of the dispenser and state that the gasoline "CONTAINS ETHANOL" 
or "CONTAINS METHANOL."  This subdivision does not prohibit the 
posting of other alcohol or additive information.  
    Sec. 8.  [APPROPRIATION; INCREASED COMPLEMENT.] 
    The sum of $50,000 is appropriated from the general fund to 
the weights and measures division of the department of public 
service for the purpose of administering sections 1 to 7.  The 
sum is available until June 30, 1985.  
    The general fund complement for the public service 
department is increased by one position. 
    Approved April 24, 1984