Watching Government: A failed compromise

Oct. 25, 2010
It isn't often that Friends of the Earth and the petroleum industry agree.

It isn't often that Friends of the Earth and the petroleum industry agree. But they both thought that the US Environmental Protection Agency was wrong when it decided on Oct. 13 to raise the allowable limit of ethanol in gasoline to 15% for 2007 model year or newer cars and trucks.

"EPA's decision is premature and irresponsible," declared Kate McMahon, biofuels campaign coordinator at the environmental organization. "While today's ruling limits E15 to use in newer engines for the time being, the agency has yet to conclude comprehensive scientific testing on the long-term engine safety and pollution impacts of increased ethanol in gasoline—period."

The group called on EPA to produce a complete accounting of the air pollution that will be caused by the new ethanol-gasoline blend, pointing out that EPA has failed to meet consumer and environmental protections embedded in the Clean Air Act requiring significant testing before a fuel is introduced in the marketplace.

"The only thing 'green' about ethanol is the color of the cash subsidies handed to it by Congress," added McMahon. She called on EPA to produce a complete accounting of the air pollution that will be caused by the new ethanol-gasoline blend. The agency said in February, in its Renewable Fuels Standard Regulatory Analysis, that ethanol emits more greenhouse gases than gasoline, she added.

'Areas of concern'

Bob Greco, the American Petroleum Institute's downstream operations director, said he was disappointed that EPA did not wait until engine safety tests were complete. "From data already gathered, use of higher ethanol in gasoline has revealed several areas of concern," he explained.

API subsequently provided initial results from the Coordinating Research Council's durability tests of 16 engines from 2001 to 2009 model years with 20% ethanol blends. Of the 16, 7 passed without problems; 3 including a 2007 model failed and are being retested at a 15% level; 2 failed and await final CRC decisions; and 4, including a 2007 and 2009 engine, are still being tested.

"EPA needs to make sure that a new fuel is safe for consumers," Greco said. "Rushing through this new fuel standard without complete research may be good politics but is bad public policy."

Ethanol advocacy groups also weren't happy because they felt EPA didn't go far enough. "Limiting E15 use to 2007 and newer vehicles only creates confusion for retailers and consumers alike," said Renewable Fuels Association President Bob Dineen.

EPA said it could decide as soon as November whether to allow fuel with 15% ethanol to be used in 2001-06 model year vehicles. Its Oct. 13 compromise attempt obviously pleased no one.

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