£EPA
www.epa.gov
EPA/600/F-11/011
science BRIEF
BUILDING A SCIENTIFIC FOUNDATION FOR SOUND ENVIRONMENTAL DECISIONS
BIOFUEL ETHANOL TRANSPORT RISK
This Fact Sheet raises awareness of
potential safety issues and risks with the
transport of biofuel ethanol, and provides
information to help address these issues.
In the United States, production signifi-
cantly increased within the last decade
(Figure 1). Production is concentrated in
the Upper Midwest and transport occurs
to all other regions via rail tank cars.
tanker trucks, and barges. Traffic at each
production facility exceeded 100 deliver-
ies per day in 1999 (Wooley et al., 1999)
and will continue to increase rapidly
(Kocoloski, et al. 2010). The United
States has a goal of tripling production
from current levels (http://www. epa. gov/
otaq/fuels/renewablefuels/index. htm).
Biofuel Ethanol Properties. At vari-
ous stages in the supply chain, biofuel
ethanol may be 100% ethanol or may be
mixed with gasoline in varying propor-
tions. All transported fuel is denatured.
At refineries or distribution terminals it
is mixed with gasoline to produce E10
(10% ethanol/90% gasoline, a common
retail blend) and E85 (85% ethanol/15%
gasoline). The occurrence of these vary-
ing formulations increases the uncertainty
when addressing transportation accidents
and fires.
Biofuel ethanol has unique proper-
ties that affect its transport and safe use.
Ethanol may degrade and erode conven-
tional seals, it is hygroscopic (attracts
40 000 000 000
v\ nnn nnn nnn
•vi nnn nnn nnn
25 000 000 000
o 20 000 000 000
1
10000000000
5 000 000 000
Renewable Fuel Production
Volume of
Renewable Fuel
Required to be
Blended into 4
Transportation
Fuel 2022
•
/
_»-"^
fumm*munmmtn**r*^mr
EXt:S22!BS!£^SQS'-^'l^°
OOOOOO>O)O>O)OOOT-T-T-rsj
J2????2?RSRSRSR
Year
Figure 1. Fuel Ethanol Production 1981-
2008; EIA Data (http:'//www. eia. doe.gov/
aer/txt/ptb 1003.html).
Many communities lack awareness
of the increased and growing extent
of biofuel transportation through their
jurisdictions. These communities and
their emergency responders may not have
the information and resources to address
spills, explosions, and fires should a
biofuel transportation accident occur
(www.youtube.com/atch?v=XxI3dliofts).
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
water from the atmosphere), when mixed
with gasoline it increases the mobility
of spilled mixtures in soil and water,
and fuel mixtures with high ethanol
percentages can burn with a nearly invis-
ible flame. Ethanol and gasoline have
very different properties (Table 1) and
mixtures exhibit properties intermediate
between the pure components.
Table 1. Fuel Chemical and Physical
Properties (adapted from U.S. NRT, 2010,
NRT Quick Reference Guide)
Vapor pressure
(at 68 °F)
Vapor density
(air=l)
Boiling point
Flashpoint
Specific
gravity
(at 68 °F)
Solubility in
water
Vapor LEL
Vapor UEL
Electrical
conductivity
Ethanol
42 to
44 mm
Hg
1.59
173.1 °F
55.4 °F
0.79 g/mL
Fully
soluble
3.3%
19.0%
Good
conductor
Gasoline
300 to
500mm
Hg
3 to 4
140 to
390 °F
-36 °F
0.73 g/mL
Poorly
soluble
1.4%
7.4%
Poor
conductor
Biofuel Ethanol Production History
and Transportation. Ethanol production
increased rapidly after 2000 (Figure 1)
from under 2 billion gallons per year in
2000 to over 9 billion gallons per year
in 2008. Production is expected to triple
by 2022 (http ://www. epa. gov/otaq/fuels/
renewablefuels/index.htm).
Ethanol is largely produced within
the comparatively lightly populated.
rural corn-growing regions of the Upper
Midwest (Westcott, 2007; Murphy et al.,
2011). However, it is transported and
used throughout the country, particularly
as motor fuel in heavily-populated coastal
regions that are far removed from the
production centers. Due to the properties
of ethanol, it is not transported in existing
pipelines but is transported by rail, truck,
or barge. Rail shipment is currently the
most common choice for transport from
production facilities (EERC, 2010), with
large volumes carried over long distances
(e.g., 80 cars with 2.4 million gallons of
capacity per train).
-------
Information and Resources for
Communities and Emergency Response.
Ethanol/gasoline mixtures require unique
precautions and fire-fighting approaches.
Fire-fighting foams used for gasoline may
be ineffective for fighting biofuel ethanol
fires. Training materials for firefighters
are available from the Ethanol Emergency
Response Coalition (EERC) (http://www.
ethanolresponse.com'). Railroads and
railroad industry groups also provide
training for ethanol transportation (e.g.,
TRANSCAER® (www.transcaer.com/
events.aspx).
Fire/explosion risk is the greatest
immediate concern at biofuel ethanol
accident sites and ethanol fires require the
use of alcohol-resistent foam (AR-AFFF).
Ethanol alone is considered to not pose
long-term environmental problems.
However, formulations of ethanol mixed
with gasoline can raise additional concerns
(e.g., Adair and Wilson, 2010) including
methane production (Spalding et al., 2010)
and fishkills in surface water. Ethanol
spills act differently than pure gasoline.
For instance, ethanol/gasoline blends
tend to separate when introduced to water
bodies, ethanol may promote greater
dissolution and mixing of gasoline compo-
nents in the water column (U.S. NRT,
2010). The need for remediation has to be
evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Risk Reduction. Farm fuel use
peaked in 1979 (Cleveland, 1995) and
farm energy use is projected to continue
a steady decline (Miranowski, 2005).
Strategies for minimizing or reduc-
ing transportation risk in the future will
include increasing use of biofuels in areas
geographically closest to the farm econo-
my, thereby reducing the need for long-
distance transportation because production
already occurs primarily in corn growing
regions. This is a step toward relocaliza-
tion (Heinberg and Bomford, 2009) that
will promote sustainability. Risk reduc-
tion also includes ensuring an adequate
and safe transportation infrastructure,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
aware and informed communities, and
trained and properly supplied emergency
personnel.
Statistics that track biofuel ethanol
accidents and fires are not available.
Government agencies collect extensive
information and statistics on transportation
accidents involving hazardous materials
including fuels; however, biofuel-specific
accidents are not readily searchable in
these databases. As biofuel produc-
tion and transportation increase, it may
be useful to organize biofuel-specific
databases and search capabilities in a form
that is easily accessible to communities,
especially small jurisdictions.
Selected References.
Adair, C., and J.T.Wilson. 2010. Anaerobic
Biodegradation of Biofuels (Ethanol
and Biodiesel) and Proposed Biofuels
(n-Propanol, iso-Propanol, n-Butanol).
Seventh International Conference
on Remediation of Chlorinated and
Recalcitrant Compounds, May 24-27,
2010, Monterey, CA.
Cleveland, C.J. 1995. The direct and indirect
use of fossil fuels and electricity in USA
agriculture, 1910-1990. Agriculture,
Ecosystems, and Environment 55:111-121.
Ethanol Emergency Response Coalition
(EERC). 2010. Training Guide to
Ethanol Emergency Response, Module 3.
Transportationn and Transfer of Ethanol-
Blended Fuels, http://www.ncdoi.com/
OSFM/RPD/PT/Documents/Coursework/
Ethanol/Module3_ParticipantManuals.pdf
Heinberg, R., and M. Bomford. 2009. The
food & farming transition; toward a
post carbon food system. Post Carbon
Institute, Sebastopol, CA. 39pp.
Kocoloski, M. M. Griffin, C. Hendrickson, and
M.H. Scott. 2010. Estimating rail loads
from future ethanol distribution policies.
TRB Research Board Meeting 2010 Paper
#10-3239.
Miranowski,!. 2005. Energy Consumption
in US Agriculture, In: Agriculture as a
Producer and Consumer of Energy, CABI
Publishing, Cambridge, MA, pp. 68-111.
Murphy, D.J., C.A.S. Hall, and B. Powers.
2011. New Perspectives on the Energy
Return on (Energy) Investment (EROI) of
Com Ethanol. Environment, Development,
and Sustainability 12:179-202.
Spalding, R.F., M.A. Toso, M.E. Exner, G.
Hattan, T.M. Higgins, A.C. Sekely,
and S.D. Jensen. 2011. Long-term
groundwater monitoring results at large,
sudden denatured ethanol releases. Ground
Water Monitoring & Remediation 31: no.
doi: 10.1111/j. 1745-6592.2011.01336.X
U.S. National Reponse Team (U.S. NRT).
2010. Quick Reference Guide: Fuel Grade
Ethanol Spills (including E85). http://
www.nrt.org/production/NRT/NRTWeb.
nsf/3cb9a6ef643b6e3685256ede006ef73
a/51603ad2f4744441852576da0017b4c
a/$FILE/ETOH-85-Final_RevOO_2010_
halfpt%20increase_022610.pdf
Westcott, PC. 2007. Ethanol expansion in the
United States; how will the agricultural
sector adjust? USDA, Economic Research
Service. FDS-07D-01.
Wooley, R., M. Ruth, D. Glassner, and J.
Sheehan. 1999. Process design and
costing of bioethanol technology: a tool
for determining the status and direction of
research and development. Biotechnol.
Prog. 15:794-803.
CONTACTS:
Eric E. Jorgensen, Ph.D., EPA's Office
of Research and Development, U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency,
National Risk Research Laboratory,
Ada, OK 580-436-8545, eric.
jorgensen@epa.gov
Daniel F. Pope, Shaw Environmental
& Infrastructure, Inc., Ada, OK,
580-436-8531, daniel.pope@epa.gov
Bruce E. Pivetz, Shaw Environmental
& Infrastructure, Inc., Ada, OK,
580-436-8998, bruce.pivetz@epa.gov
------- |