Siding with the EPA
Siding with EPA. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Line On Agriculture.
The U.S. Appeals Court for the District of Columbia Circuit has sided with the Environmental Protection Agency and its partial waiver approval for E15. The initial waiver was filed in March of 2009. Vehicles were tested using E15 for a combined six-million miles, health effects data on the fuel was collected and approved and a first of its kind mis-fueling mitigation plan was required and approved in order for retailers to offer E15. The EPA ultimately approved E15 for model year 2001 and newer light duty vehicles and all flex fuel vehicles. The ruling said that groups challenging E-15 had no proof engines had been or would be damaged by the fuel. The Court says the petroleum, engine and grocery trade associations had no legal standing to bring forward an appeal in court and their legal petition was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. American Coalition for Ethanol Executive Vice President Brian Jennings says this is a great victory for the ethanol industry.
JENNINGS: I feel as if this is a huge victory for consumers and the fact that the court very strongly said the engine manufacturers particularly have no ability to prove that E-15 is going to cause any damage whatsoever to their engines really helps us make the case to the American consumer that EPA did their job. They tested the fuel for a very long period of time. It’s safe and it’s something that should be an option for folks if they want.
Jennings says he expects E-15 to be available nationwide by early next month.
JENNINGS: We still have the reed vapor pressure limitations on this during the summertime which will be lifted in about a month. On September 15th E-15 could be made available everywhere nationwide and we have to imagine because ethanol is still much less expensive that gasoline that it’s going to be used by quite a few people.
Bob Dinneen - Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO - says the decision is an important step forward in the nation’s quest to diversify its fuel supply and that the addition of the E15 option with other ethanol blends allows consumers to make the fuel decisions that work best for them and their vehicle.
That’s today’s Line On Agriculture. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.
