Ethanol Risks

One of the biggest challenges to using ethanol to replace imported fuels is transporting it.

Ethanol is mostly made in rural areas and then must be transported to urban areas. Pipelines do not carry it so it must be moved by truck or rail. Moving these flammable liquids into urban centers is becoming controversial. Hazard plans have not been crafted in many places to deal with spills. Ethanol cannot be doused with traditional fire-fighting foams.

In 2006, 23 tank cars were derailed in New Brighton, Pennsylvania (pop. 140,000) and caused a 48-hour long fire that evacuated 7 blocks. In 2007, a tanker traveling in Baltimore spilled 6,800 gallons and the local fire crew spent hours trying to put out the fire because it didn't have the right foam. This month, officials sought to shut down an ethanol transfer operation in Alexandria, Virginia for this very reason.