The White House is trying to make gas cans fill great again.
In a July 24 letter, the EPA has asked gas can manufacturers to redesign their much-maligned products to fix a long-standing problem: "People hate 'em," said Florida-based eBay gas can reseller Steven Watt, 63. "It's all about the spout."
Federal regulations implemented in 2009 required portable gas cans for lawnmowers, chainsaws, ATVs and stranded vehicles to have special vents to stop vapors from escaping, contributing to ozone pollution.
But many modern designs are often infuriatingly ineffective at actually filling tanks because the vents work so poorly. Instead of stopping vapors from flowing out the complicated spouts and relief valves, instead frustrated users often cause gasoline spills, which some critics say are far worse than a tiny amount of vapor escaping from an older design.
Other regulations require the cans to be child-resistant and limit the risk of flash fires, and the EPA can't change those.
