The American Petroleum Institute said the federal appeals court in Washington was wrong when it blocked an earlier challenge on the grounds the challengers, including the API, engine manufacturers and food producers, did not have legal standing in the matter.
The challenge was aimed at blocking the Environmental Protection Agency from authorizing the sale of so-called E15 gasoline, which is 15 percent ethanol, as part of the federal Renewable Fuels Standard. The current legal maximum for ethanol content is 10 percent.
The API said in a written statement the EPA made its ruling too soon and. “Had EPA stayed within its statutory authority and followed proper procedures, it would have waited until ongoing E15 testing on engines and fuel systems was completed before allowing the use of E15.” Bob Greco, API Group Director for Downstream and Industry Operations, said. “Then it would have discovered that E15 is not safe for millions of vehicles now on the road.”
Greco added the API was certain complete testing would show ethanol was harmful to cars not built specifically for E15 and said that fact alone justified junking the entire federal Renewable Fuel Standard.
The ethanol industry fired back with a written statement claiming the E15 challenge was aimed more at preserving market share for the oil industry by pushing ethanol out of the gasoline supply.
“It is time to put fuel choice in the hands of consumers,” said Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Alternative Fuels Association. “As gas prices continue to rise day after day, it is clear that Americans deserve the choice of lower-cost, cleaner-burning, high-performing E15.”
Copyright 2013 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).
Merlin Bartz LOVED the ethanol. Mr. ethanol.
You gotta help Merlin out with higher corn prices but if you buy some water jug with your food stamps and poor it out you in big trouble bwoy.
I read a report the other day from a professor at the University of Iowa who said that production of ethanol was depleting or water table here in Iowa due to the tremendous amount of water required in the process. The cost to the environment is tremendous. It is strange that the liberals are in favor of this because they think it is green but yet it used massive amounts of one of our most needed resources. The rich get richer and we get screwed.
Ethanol in high amounts is not good for automobiles. It reduces fuel mileage, eats away at your fuel system, and can corrode away at engine parts. You might pay less for the ethanol rich fuel at the pump, but it’ll cost you more in the long run.
Although, if an engine is built properly to run ethanol, it can prove to be a great fuel source. I know a few people with race cars who have built ethanol burning race engines and they make more power than they would with 92 octane fuel.
@Bojangles-I worked for a guy who had a alcohol fueled dragster and yes, it was fast. But it also burns out the motor faster which makes sense because it burns hotter. They still were not as fast as a top fuel dragster. When you combine the food source used and the water usage it is not a good deal for the U.S. or the world.
Ethanol, making corn farmers wealthy while costing the rest of us more to produce fuel, engine and fuel line fouling and subsidizing the whole debacle. So typically democrat! Wealthy Iowa democrat farmers and farms, hiring low paid help, a good thing. Wealthy republican business owners and employers paying decent wages and benefits, not a good thing. Think our vehicles will cost us more when they get done producing them to accept your BS ethanol. Or here’s an idea, make vehicles that aren’t designed to run on ethanol against the law give everyone 25,000 credit to trade them in. It worked so well last time. Of course farmers and their equipment wouldn’t be affected. Iowa is infested with liberal hypocrites!
Yeah that Chuck Grassley what a liberal he is. Ethanol is not perfect and neither is gasoline.