As increasing amounts of ethanol are sold as E-10 and E-85, some station owners are making the blends too rich.

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Some fuel marketers now offer unconventional and possibly illegal blends, state officials say.

According to inspectors, a few stations in Kearney and North Platte have put from 2 to 10 percent ethanol into regular unleaded without posting it as an ethanol blend. That was a report a month ago of the Nebraska Department of Weights and Measures.

Those stations could then charge more for unleaded without telling motorists that it was nearly the same blend as E-10 super unleaded.

Worse, secret ethanol blends as high as E17 and E24 have been reported, according to the Nebraska Ethanol Board.

According to federal law, if more than 10 percent ethanol is mixed into gasoline, retailers must mark it “for use only in Flexible Fuel Vehicles”.

The Nebraska Attorney General is investigating several complaints and will take appropriate action, spokeswoman Leah Bucco-White said.

“We are conducting an ongoing investigation is to make sure consumers get the fuel they pay for,” she said. White would not say how many stations are under investigation or where they are located.

She asked for patience during the investigation.

All vehicles manufactured since 1979 can safely use conventional E-10 ethanol, officials say. Missouri officials are considering 15-20 percent ethanol blends. However, using more than 10 percent ethanol in a regular vehicle will usually void the vehicle warranty, said Steve Sorum of the Ethanol Board.

Manufacturers use special gas lines and other parts on flex-fuel vehicles to handle the ethanol. Ethanol blends could damage small engines and classic cars engines.

In February, investigators shut down pumps at a North Platte gas station near Interstate-80 after spot tests turned up 15 percent ethanol in unleaded fuel and 16 percent ethanol in super-unleaded.

Motorists had no way to know that the gas contained that much ethanol.

The Nebraska Department of Weights and Measure forced one Shell/Time Saver station to put more gasoline in its tanks to reduce the ethanol content, and post ethanol signs on the pump. Then the station was allowed to reopen.

Small stickers were posted on the sides of pumps that said “Ethanol Enriched”. Information was added to some stickers that say “Enriched with 10 percent ethanol.”