A release from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said the Trump administration wants to “make gas cans great again by improving flow.” They’ve sent letters to gas can manufacturers, encouraging changes to make the fuel flow easier, a shift from a previous EPA standard meant to curb pollution.
MGCGA (Make Gas Cans Great Again)
The EPA said it has received years of complaints about how gas cans currently function. Legislation dating back to 2007 changed the way gas cans are manufactured.
The EPA finalized a rule that year that required portable fuel container manufacturers to reduce evaporative emissions by sealing in gasoline vapors. It went into effect in 2009, and the EPA stated that due to confusion, manufacturers stopped installing vents altogether.
In 2008, Congress passed the Children’s Gasoline Burn Prevention Act, which requires gas cans to be child-resistant.
Then, in 2020, Congress passed the Portable Fuel Container Safety Act, which mandated the use of flame mitigation devices in cans to prevent flashback ignition. The EPA said that further complicated nozzle and spout designs.
“The confusion surrounding gas cans has been a frustration for years. We are proud to address this issue head on,” Lee Zeldin, EPA Administrator, said in a statement. “Moving forward, Americans should have gas cans that are compliant, but most importantly, that are effective and consumer friendly.”
Why this started
These regulations began when regulators noticed that gas cans were a significant contributor to air pollution.
The California Air Resources Board adopted new gas can regulations back in 1999, with Chairman Dr. Alan Lloyd saying, “Our research shows that these cans are a major source of pollution.”
Another report showed emissions from a single old-style gas could be 60 times higher than a car’s gas tank if both were left open next to each other.
It reached the point where some states, such as Utah and Iowa, even hold gas can exchange programs.
Manufacturers will now be able to produce gas cans in a manner similar to how they were made a few decades ago.
“Gas cans used to POUR gas,” Zeldin said in a post on X. “Now they just DRIBBLE like a child’s sippy cup. The Trump EPA’s message to gas can makers: VENT THE DARN CAN and let it FLOW BABY FLOW!”
Other legislation
This move from the EPA follows the introduction of the “Gas Can Freedom Act of 2025” by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, in February.
That bill would repeal the Portable Fuel Container Safety Act and would further prohibit the Consumer Product Safety Commission from imposing child-resistance standards on gas cans.
The bill was sent to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, but it has since seen no movement. Changing certain consumer goods has been a staple for the Trump administration.
The president aimed to “make showers great again” with an executive order changing the amount of water pressure allowed in showerheads, a long-standing grievance of his.
