It’s getting very hard to escape ethanol.

One would be hard-pressed to find a gas station in DeKalb that offers any gasoline without it. Every Mobil, Marathon, BP and Shell station offers only ethanol-blended gasoline, including normal unleaded gasoline.

Every gas station selling ethanol-blended gasoline must display an ethanol content sticker near the pumps.

The sticker is mandated because most cars made before 1970, along with most modern gas-powered, home-care or small engine devices are not compatible with even the 10 percent ethanol blend.

“The industry standard is 10 percent ethanol, 90 percent gasoline,” said Larry Hickey, owner of Hickey’s Corner Store, 218 W. Lincoln Highway. “When gasoline rose over $2.50, stations started thinking more seriously about blending to keep costs down and now most in the Corn Belt states do.”

According to the Illinois government, more than 60 percent of the gasoline sold in Illinois, and 95 percent in Chicago, contains up to 10 percent ethanol.

There are a few reasons for the ethanol surge.

Federal legislation created a tax-credit system as an incentive for gas stations to sell ethanol blends.

“For every gallon of ethanol used, the gas station receives a 51 cent tax credit,” said Richard Ruebe, chief executive officer of GTL Resources USA, the project development company working with the Rochelle ethanol plant.

Also, in July 2004, Illinois joined a number of other states in banning a gasoline octane booster and oxygenator, MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether) after studies showed that it lead to dangerous groundwater contamination. This additive has been replaced by ethanol, which also acts as an additive and burns cleaner than MTBE and other petroleum-based fuels.

One of the last choices for those who wish to steer clear of the ethanol issue in DeKalb is offered by Casey’s General Stores.

“We offer clear products,” said Bill Walljasper, chief financial official for Casey’s. “We give the option of buying either straight unleaded gasoline or the ethanol blend.”

Casey’s labels its ethanol-blended gasoline super-unleaded because ethanol boosts the octane. The price of their super-unleaded fluctuates between being a few cents more expensive to 10 cents cheaper than straight gasoline.