By Judy Sheahan and Ted Fischer
July 28, 2008

New Orleans City Chief Administrative Officer Dr. Brenda Hatfield says the city will soon begin filling about 2,700 of its vehicles with a blend of ethanol known as E-10. “So now there will be 90 percent gasoline, ten percent ethanol,” she said.

Hatfield says since the corn-based ethanol is a renewable fuel and contributes to reducing carbon emissions the decision to switch off of regular gasoline was an easy one. “You know we talk about a green environment, well this is one way that we can contribute to that,” she said.

New Orleans is helping to create a greener city and cleaner environment by replacing traditional unleaded gasoline with E-10 for its fleet of vehicles. An added bonus, according to Hatfield, is the fact that making the switch to ethanol will cost roughly the same as what they’re paying now. “So we’re not spending more and we’re not spending less.”

“As we continue to rebuild New Orleans, I have made it a priority to create a city that is healthier in every way,” said Mayor C. Ray Nagin. “By using E-10 rather than traditional unleaded gasoline, we are creating a more sustainable city and using current technology to improve the quality of life now and for the future.”

The city will dispense E-10 at all of its fuel facilities, which will significantly reduce the pollution caused by city vehicles. E-10 reduces tailpipe carbon monoxide emissions by as much as 30 percent, it reduces exhaust volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions by 12 percent, and it reduces hydro-carbon emissions by more than 25 percent.

Nagin’s office says it’s part of an overall push to rebuild New Orleans in a more environmentally friendly, sustainable way post-Katrina. Nagin says the city will rely on the same provider of its traditional fuel for the ethanol blend. City Administrator James Ross says there’s expected to be no change in the city’s fuel bills due to the change.

The use of more environmentally friendly bio-fuels is an important goal established in Nagin’s greening plan for the city. The plan also includes other strategies that have now been implemented, including the establishment of a Green Council and a green building ordinance. The city also has hired a chief energy officer, and is implementing a pavement management system and soil remediation programs.

Ethanol is non-toxic, water'soluble and is the most harmless and biodegradable component of gasoline. Ethanol occurs naturally during the fermentation of organic matter. When gasoline is spilled on land or in water, ethanol is the first component to quickly, safely and naturally degrade. More importantly, the presence of ethanol in gasoline means the reduced presence of more toxic components such as benzene. As a result, gasoline spills are less threatening to the environment.

“The conversion from traditional unleaded gasoline to E-10 will be seamless,” said Hatfield. “The fuel can be used without a problem in all city vehicles. In addition to the environmental impact, the ethanol in E-10 unleaded also adds two to three points of octane to ordinary gasoline, helping improve engine performance, which is another benefit to the City of New Orleans.”

Each year, New Orleans spends money to pay for the two million gallons of gas needed to fill its fleet of city vehicles. Nagin says the city has a plan to make vehicle purchases more environmentally friendly.

Since the city already has its own line of fuel pumps, they won’t have to worry about finding gas stations in the area that carry E-10. As for vehicle compatibility with the ethanol, Hatfield says the fuel can safely be used in all city vehicles without problem.