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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) position on all fuel additives is one that is viewed with suspicion until proven otherwise. Fuel additives must be proven safe and not have changed or created new/harmful emission species by way of the combustion process. Metal additives are known to be in this group. Metals as a group, when used in fuel additives, are known to reduce visible exhaust smoke output but at a cost. Metals do not burn up during combustion process. The problem with metal additives is that the metals reappear on the exhaust particulate. Metals are known to have the same biological effects just like diesel particulates and as such should be avoided. Any metal additives as a group are not to be recommended for reducing diesel particulates.
The Fitch® Fuel Catalyst is EPA certified and registered under U.S.Federal Register Volume 54: 40 CFR 85.2114(1). As part of the EPA certification and registration process, including California Air Resources Board (CARB) certification, a total of more than thirty-five (35) test reports were reviewed. These reports were conducted by various independent and EPA recognised laboratories, university research facilities, US Military including Pratt & Whitney contracted by the US Defence Force, various State and Federal agencies, corporations and infield test reports by commercial fleet operators. These reports covered scientific/analytical research, exhaust emission analysis, emission reduction performance, fuel consumption, operational performance analysis and catalyst life and performance life cycle. All research laboratory testing conclusively confirm that the Fitch® Fuel Catalyst is indeed a true catalyst by definition. ( affecting a chemical change in the fuel it contacts but not becoming a part of the fuel by adding any element of itself during or after the reaction ). The catalyst is not consumed in the reaction it promotes. Atomic absorption (AA) and ICP spectroscopy tests on fuel samples exposed to the Fitch® Fuel Catalyst pellets for two weeks in both gasoline and diesel fuels, all commercially available brands a total of 10 samples in all. These tests have been replicated at two independent research institutes, the Carnegie Mellon Research Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the Oak Ridge National Research Laboratory, Tennessee for the Department of Energy. Both facilities conducted testing to the one parts per million level.
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Only
fuel additives registered by the EPA will be recommended for use
in on highway and non on road internal combustion engines. As of
25th April 1997, only diesel fuel additives that have been registered
by the EPA may be used in diesel powered equipment in underground
mines. Only these registered additives may be used to ensure no
harmful agents are introduced into the mine environment ( this legislation
is to be expanded to cover all fuel additives used on all internal
combustion engines).
Testing
completed at the specific request of the US EPA, Ann Arbor, Michigan
as part of the EPA 511 certification criteria (AA) spectroscopy
tests at the parts per billion level by the University of Florida
and the Department of Energy have all concluded that in fact the
Fitch® Fuel Catalyst does not leach/release any traced metals
and/or chemical elements of itself into any of the fuel samples
tested. 
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