EPA Decision a Step in the Right Direction

January 21, 2011 WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) welcomes today’s announcement that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved E15 for use in model year 2001-2006 vehicles and urges EPA to recognize its impact on the market. “Today’s decision to expand the use of E15 is a welcome step towards expanding ethanol use and helping us meet our Renewable Fuel Standard goals,” said Johanns. “While I commend this decision to reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy, I am disappointed that the Administration delayed this decision for over a year and missed an opportunity to provide the leadership and clarity to allow our home-grown, renewable energy markets to flourish sooner. I continue to be concerned that EPA has adversely affected the market by allowing only 60 percent of the vehicles in the United States to run on E15. Further, EPA needs to ensure that any labeling regime gives consumers clarity and helps rather than hinders the market.” Background: On March 6, 2009, 54 ethanol producers submitted a waiver request to the EPA asking the approval of an intermediate ethanol blend of up to 15 percent (E15) for use in non-flex fuel vehicles. Ethanol content in gasoline had been capped at 10 percent (E10). Under the law, the EPA Administrator was supposed to make a decision regarding the waiver by December 1, 2009. On October 13, 2010, EPA announced that it would only partially approve raising the ethanol blend wall in gasoline to 15 percent. At that time, EPA approved a partial waiver for the use of E15 in model year 2007 and newer passenger cars and light trucks, denied the use of E15 in vehicles model year 2000 and older, and further delayed its decision on model year 2001-2006 vehicles. According to the Renewable Fuels Association, allowing up to E15 blends in all vehicles would increase ethanol production by 6.5 billion gallons annually, displacing more than 200 million barrels of imported oil.