– By AARON KESSLER

Detroit Free Press

WASHINGTON – The Environmental Protection Agency has released its warning sticker for gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol, a final step in clearing the way for the higher percentat blend to be sold at U.S. gas pumps.

Vehicles that may use E15 are limited to newer cars and light trucks from model year 2001 onward. “Flex-fuel” vehicles are also allowed.

The EPA is prohibiting use of E15 for certain vehicles and most other gasoline-powered engines such as those in boats, snowmobiles and lawnmowers.

Not to be fueled with E15 under the EPA’s regulations are: motorcycles, boats, vehicles with heavy-duty engines like buses and delivery trucks, off-road vehicles, snowmobiles, off-road equipment and light vehicles from model year 2000 and older.

The release of the warning sticker ushers in the home stretch of a process that began more than two years ago, when a group of ethanol proponents began pushing for use of E15.

In early 2009, according to the EPA, a coalition of ethanol groups petitioned the agency for a waiver to allow a gasoline to be sold with a higher 15 percent ethanol content, as opposed to the current 10 percent limit.

That led to testing conducted by the Department of Energy to determine whether engines could safely handle a higher blend.

Based on initial test results, the EPA partially granted the ethanol group’s request in October — opening the door for E15 to be approved for model year 2007 and newer cars and light trucks.

In January, after additional testing data was analyzed, the agency announced it would expand the waiver to include cars and light trucks going back to model year 2001.

But there were certain conditions imposed by the agency before the higher blend could actually hit the streets for use in those vehicles.

Several were quality-control measures, but a vital piece of the puzzle was ensuring consumers didn’t “misfuel” their vehicles or other machinery with E15.

The agency required that labels be placed on all E15 gas pumps warning consumers that the new blend was only to be used for model year 2001 and newer passenger vehicles.

But until last week, those labels didn’t exist.

On June 23, however, the agency finalized its regulations on the warnings and has now released its sticker aimed at making sure drivers and users of other engines, such as those in boats or lawnmowers, know whether they should fill up with E15.