E.P.A. Approves Use of More Ethanol in Gasoline

[RickS]

Ripped from the NY Times 1/21/11

WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday that cars and light trucks from the 2001 model year onward can safely use a blend of 15 percent ethanol mixed with gasoline, up from the 10 percent standard now in effect in much of the country. The decision expands the pool of vehicles that could use such a fuel to about 62 percent of the total on the roads.

But the practical impact of the announcement on the fuel blend, known as E15, was not clear. An announcement in October that newer cars, from the 2007 model year and later, could use the blend has so far had little impact on retailers or drivers. A new fuel requires multiple approvals from many agencies. And retailers are typically not set up to offer an additional grade of gasoline at their pumps: if they wanted to sell E15, they would have to stop selling something else.

Auto makers had expressed concern that the E15 blend could harm cars’ seals, pumps and other fuel system components.

But on Friday, Lisa P. Jackson, the E.P.A. administrator, said the agency’s testing had found otherwise. “Recently completed testing and data analysis show that E15 does not harm emissions control equipment in newer cars and light trucks,” she said in a statement. “Wherever sound science and the law support steps to allow more home-grown fuels in America’s vehicles, this administration takes those steps.”

The ethanol industry cheered the announcement.

Growth Energy, a trade group that had petitioned the E.P.A. in 2009 to raise the standard blend to 15 percent ethanol from 10 percent, said that if accomplished, the change “could help create as many as 136,000 new jobs in the United States.”

Encouraging the use of corn-based ethanol is one of the few federal auto policies that has had a substantial impact on reducing oil imports.

The government is still studying the ability of older cars to withstand a 15 percent ethanol blend. The E.P.A. has not said when it expects to announce a ruling on older vehicles. Some gasoline-powered equipment, like marine outboard motors, chain saws and leaf blowers, is never expected to qualify, and E15 in those engines would create safety hazards, the equipment makers say.

Full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/22/bu...ethanol&st=cse

[swb911s]

Here in Western Oregon, premium unleaded NON-ethanol is available at some locations [at $1.00 + more per gallon]...used for the light gas equipment mentioned above... when mixed 9 to 1 with 130 racing leaded fuel [$8.50/GAL] it performs well in my 67 swb...JON

[HarryD]

We can sit here and whine or we can let or elected officials know what we, the voters think. While the big lobbies may finance elections, we are the folks who actually cast the ballots. Decide what you want to do, do it, tell your freinds what you did and why.

This is what I sent to my elected offcials:

Sentor/Representative:

I saw this article in the NY Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/22/bu...ethanol&st=cse) titled "E.P.A. Approves Use of More Ethanol in Gasoline".

I am opposed to increasing Ethanol in motor fuels for several reasons:

1-Without a federal subsidy it does not appear to make economic sense. To my way of thinking, in these hard economic times, if things can not be economically feasible on their own merits, they need to go;
2-Ethanol is known to reduce fuel economy. Since CAFE Standards are getting increasing strict, this seems counterproductive;
3-Ethanol is corrosive to cars many metals and elastomers and does not have a very good "shelf life" when stored in commonly used materials. This means that many cars will have their service life adversely affected and require the owner to replace their car more often incurring a financial harm; and
4-Per the Article "... Lisa P. Jackson, the E.P.A. administrator, said the agency’s testing had found otherwise. “Recently completed testing and data analysis show that E15 does not harm emissions control equipment in newer cars and light trucks,” . This is all well and good but what about fuel economy, premature failure of fuel system and engine components, and impact to non-automotive engines? IT seems to me that EPA has taken a very narrow view of this change and is "conveniently" ignoring other issues which may be more significant.

I ask you, as my Senator, to oppose this change.

Thank you,

[RickS]

Harry, is right on the money as this brief summarizes so concisely: http://www.springerlink.com/content/f23j03184744317x/ It appears ethanol is only a win for ConAgra and the bio-fuel producers. I am contacting my elected officials as well.

Attached is a site which lists ethanol free gas stations throughout the country as well as a petition to the EPA. Please sign. http://pure-gas.org/