Coalition Initiates Nation's First Gasoline Public Education and Consumer Awareness Campaign

WASHINGTON, DC, June 19, 2019: The Clean Fuels Development Coalition announced today that they have launched the nation’s first Gasoline Public Education and Consumer Awareness Campaign, focusing on the health threat of consumer gasoline. The campaign is the outcome of a year-long research project and the publication of What’s in Our Gasoline Is Killing Us: Mobile Source Air Toxics and The Threat to Public Health (i.e., MSAT Fact Book) released last month. According to the Fact Book, gasoline and its emissions are one of the greatest threats to public health Americans face today. Transportation related pollution accounts for an estimated 50,000 premature deaths annually and billions in increased health care costs.

“Just as we were able to get lead out of gasoline, and limit exposure to secondhand smoke, this needs to be a consumer driven campaign to demand safer gasoline,” said CFDC Executive Director Douglas Durante. “As we all gain a better understanding of just how dangerous gasoline is with its carcinogenic compounds, there are actions we can take to drive change.”

To initiate the campaign the coalition has created a series of public service announcements based on consumer’s lack of education about the negative health effects from gasoline emissions. “You don’t Know Jack About Gasoline”. In addition, CFDC has created a citizen’s petition to EPA to make gasoline safer as part of the Campaign’s first calls to action. Public health, environmental, and clean energy advocates can now:

1. Sign the Safe Gasoline Campaign’s EPA: Make Gasoline Safe! citizens’ petition to EPA @ Change.org

2. Like, follow, and comment on the Safe Gasoline Campaign on Facebook

3. Connect and comment on Safe Gasoline Campaign related news on Twitter #safegasoline

4. Watch and share Safe Gasoline Campaign public service announcements and educational videos on the campaign YouTube Channel.

5. Provide feedback and share ideas at safe.gasoline@cleanfuelsdc.org

According to CFDC and its supporting organizations, the core of the problem is that when lead was removed from gasoline, it was replaced with benzene-laced octane enhancers—despite the fact that benzene is a well-documented carcinogen. As documented in the MSAT Fact Book, despite the fact that the American Cancer Society, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and even the American Petroleum Institute agree that “the only absolutely safe concentration for benzene is zero,” benzene and benzene-derived octane enhancing additives make up roughly 20% of the nation’s gasoline supply—about 25 billion gallons a year. These benzene emissions are emitted from the tailpipe via microscopic particles that can directly enter the bloodstream.

“This is no different from the lessons of tobacco, said Durante. “Once we were educated we acted. The US EPA has the authority and the responsibility to reduce toxic carcinogens to the greatest extent possible, and we all need to demand they do so. “