Our Gas Cans Are About to Get More Complicated – Again

A new law snuck in with the spending package.

According to NBC News, we have a whole bunch of lawsuits to thank claiming that a can of highly explosive gasoline is in fact highly explosive resulting in new government regulation.

The article states that the new bill was tucked away inside the large spending legislation President Donald Trump signed into law on Sunday will require all portable fuel containers, including plastic gas cans, include “flame mitigation devices” to help prevent explosions.

Exactly what is a flame mitigation device you ask? Unclear as of yet. “A flame mitigation device,” it stated, “shall be provided in each portable fuel container opening to protect the container opening(s) from possible propagation of a flame”.

The Portable Fuel Container Manufacturers Association noted that containers meeting the standard “are already being produced.”

From the looks of it, there are a few different systems at play but the gist of it is to provide a method of allowing fluid to pass through the pour spout but lock in vapor when not in use. While this is good in theory, we all know containers of fuel that are not allowed to vent will expand. And any vapors vented will be inevitably flammable.

According to the NBC News piece, the law signed into action Sunday directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission to make its final rule “not later than 30 months” after the law’s enactment date. It also directs that the requirements of the now voluntary industry standard be treated as a consumer product safety rule”.