Module 3: Transportation and
Transfer of Ethanol-Blended
Fuels
Objective
Upon the successful completion of this
module, participants will be able to
describe how ethanol-blended fuels
are transported and transferred and
where the most likely points for error
in these actions will exist.
2
Introduction
 Essential to quickly & effectively identify
presence of ethanol / ethanol-blended
fuels at scene of incident
 Can be challenging because containers in
which ethanol is transported not always
clearly marked
 Steps taken to ensure incidents managed
effectively
3
Transportation and Placarding
 Gasoline & ethanolblended fuels
transported in same
general types of
containers & tanks
 MC-306 / DOT-406
 Multiple sizes &
compartment
configurations
 Local transportation
issues
Copyright 2006, TEEX/ESTI
4
Standard MC-306 / DOT-406
 Duel axle
 Capacity: 6,000–
9,500 gallons
 Custom built
 3/8 inch aluminum
 1–7 compartments
Property of Heil Trailers International, reprinted with permission
5
Heavy Duty MC-306 / DOT-406
 Tri-axle
 Capacity: 9,500–
15,000 gallons
 Custom built
 1–7 compartments
Property of Heil Trailers International, reprinted with permission
6
Michigan-Style MC-306 / DOT-406
Property of Heil Trailers International, reprinted with permission




Multiple axles
Capacity: 13,800 gallons
Custom built
5 compartments
7
Truck and Pull MC-306 / DOT-406
 Truck tank:
– Capacity: 4,000–6,000
gallons
– 1–4 compartments
 Trailer tank:
– Capacity: 4,000–8,500
gallons
– 1–5 compartments
 Custom built
Property of Heil Trailers International, reprinted with
permission
8
Military Refueler
Property of Heil Trailers International, reprinted with permission
 Low profile
 Capacity: 5,000
gallons
 Single compartment
 Built to military
specifications
 Air transportable
Property of Heil Trailers International, reprinted with permission
9
Transportation and Placarding
 DOT:
– Classifies according
to primary danger
– Assigns
standardized
symbols to identify
classes
 Ethanol &
ethanol-fuel blends
are flammable
liquids
Copyright ERG
10
Transportation and Placarding
 Flammable tanker
placards:
– Lower ethanol
concentrations up to &
including E-10 (E-01
to E-10) blended fuels:
UN 1203
– E-85 (E-11 to E-94)
blended fuels: UN
3475
– E-95, E-98 (E-95 to
E-99) blended fuels:
UN / NA 1987
– E-100: UN 1170
Copyright ERG
11
Transportation and Placarding
 October 1, 2008:
– U.S. DOT, Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration
(PHMSA) issued final rule creating a
new proper shipping name & placard for
ethanol-blended fuels with a percentage
higher than 10% but lower than 95%
(E-11 to E-94)
12
Ethanol Proper Shipping Names
Ethanol Concentration
Preferred Proper
Shipping Name
E-1 to E-10
Gasohol (UN 1203) or
Gasoline (UN 1203)
E-11 to E-94
Ethanol & gasoline mixture
(UN 3475)
E-95 to E-99
Denatured alcohol (NA
1987) or Alcohols n.o.s.
(UN 1987)
E-100
Ethanol (UN 1170) or Ethyl
alcohol (UN 1170)
13
Transportation and Placarding
 April 22, 2009:
– EPA received a waiver to lift arbitrary regulatory cap on
ethanol from a 10% blend of ethanol to a 15% blend of
ethanol in our gas supply; must approve / disapprove by
December 1, 2009
– Current cap dates back to 1970s
– If approved, DOT-PHMSA will decide placarding; current
debate is to placard pure hydrocarbon gasoline with UN
1203 & E-1 to E-94 ethanol-blended fuels with placard
UN 3475
14
Transportation and Placarding
 DOT 111 rail car:
– Non-pressure general tank car
– Current maximum capacity 34,500 gallons
Copyright 2009, IAFC
15
Transportation and Placarding
 Rail tanks identified similarly
 Pressure & vacuum relief devices
same as currently found on
gasoline-style transport tankers
 Bottom loaded & unloaded by
standard 4-inch quick connect /
direct connections
16
Transportation and Placarding
 Valving internal to tanks with
breakaway piping & remote shut-off
controls
 Vapor recovery systems same as
currently found on roadway gasoline
tankers
17
Standard Non-Pressure Tank
Top Fittings Arrangement — Valves
Copyright 2009, IAFC
18
Standard Non-Pressure Tank
Top Fittings Arrangement — Manway
Copyright 2009, IAFC
19
Standard Non-Pressure Tank
Bottom Outlet Valve Arrangement
Copyright 2009, IAFC
20
Transportation and Placarding
 Most fuel-grade ethanol (E-98, E-95)
transported by rail:
– Some by waterway & very small amounts by
pipeline
– Pipeline concern: corrosiveness
– pH between 5 & 6 (slightly corrosive)
 Storage depots with no access to rail
receive it by road tankers:
– Trans-loading
21
Transportation and Placarding
 NFPA 704 diamond:
– Uses colors, numbers, & special symbols
to indicate presence of hazardous
materials
– Higher number = greater hazard
22
NFPA 704 Diamond
Copyright 2008, TEEX/ESTI
23
Transportation and Placarding
 NFPA 704 diamond:
– Health: Blue
– Flammability: Red
– Reactivity: Yellow
– Special: White (special notice)
24
Transportation and Placarding
 NFPA diamond for E-100, E-98, E-95,
E-85, & E-10 (gasoline):
– 1: Blue health square: slight to
moderate irritation
– 0: Reactivity yellow square
– 3: Flammability red square: high
flammability with ignition likely under
most conditions
– No commonly accepted special
character (white)
25
NFPA Diamond for E-100, E-95,
E-85, and Gasoline
Copyright 2008, TEEX/ESTI
26
Transportation and Placarding
 Most hazardous materials incidents
occur during transportation & transfer
operations
 Be aware of areas / routes where large
shipments of ethanol &
ethanol-blended fuels routinely pass
 Fuel-grade ethanol (E-98, E-95) now
leading single hazardous material
transported by rail
 Some refineries now shipping fuel fully
blended
27
Transportation and Placarding
 Most of Midwest & other ethanol
production facilities have access to
rail sidings, many bulk storage fuel
depots do not have rail sidings:
– Much of the fuel-grade ethanol is
trans-loaded to tanker trucks for
distribution to bulk storage facilities via
highways
28
Transportation and Placarding
 Placards able to indicate
high-concentration ethanol-blended
fuels:
– Does not distinguish between gasoline &
E-10 gasohol
– E-10 requires AR foam for emergency
response
29
Transportation and Placarding
 TRANSCAER:
– Voluntary effort
– Founded by Union Pacific & Dow
Chemical
– Members
– Resources may include:
30
Activity 3.1 — Ethanol Spill
Emergency
 Purpose:
– To allow participants to determine the
hazards associated with an ethanol
emergency.
31
Summary
 Variety of sources for information about
chemicals involved in spill / fire incidents:
–
–
–
–
MSDS
UN numbers
DOT placards
NFPA 704 placards
 Fuel-grade ethanol (E-98, E-95) become
leading hazardous material transported by
rail:
– Transfer commonly occurs via highways
32