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Senate Holds Hearing on Legislation to Allow E15 To Be Sold Year-Round

 

On Wednesday, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a hearing on S. 517, known as the “Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act.” The bill, introduced by Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE), would extend the Reid vapor pressure (RVP) waiver to ethanol blends above 10 percent which would allow retailers across the country to sell E15 year-round. In his opening statement, Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) highlighted his concerns with the increased use of E15, stating that “In Wyoming, folks want fuel with less, not more, ethanol. They have seen what ethanol does to small engines and boat engines. They worry what fuel with more ethanol will do to their car engines, and who will be stuck paying the bill. Consumers, manufacturers, and others are deeply skeptical about EPA’s decision to approve E15 for use in 2001 and newer vehicles.”

The witnesses included: R. Brooke Coleman (Executive Director, Advanced Biofuels Business Council), Jonathan Lewis (Senior Counsel, Clean Air Task Force), Mike Lorenz (Executive Vice President, Sheetz Inc.), Todd Teske (Chairman, President & CEO, Briggs & Stratton Corp.), and Janet Yanowitz (Principal Engineer, Ecoengineering Inc.). In his testimony, Jonathan Lewis expressed his concerns with the use of E15, stating that the use of E15 could increase nitrogen oxide emissions and push regions into non-attainment. Additionally, Todd Teske stated that E15 is not approved in the use of small engines, like the ones used on his company’s equipment. Teske added that he opposes S. 517 because he believes the misfuelling of E15 would be substantial. Meanwhile, Sheetz’s President Mike Lorenz said that there have not been any incidents with E15 and that consumers know what they’re putting into their engines. The National Marine Manufacturers Association opposes S. 517 citing that “While the title of S. 517 contains the word ‘choice’, passage of this legislation would effectively deny consumers choice at the pump, while also endangering their safety on the water. There are 12 million recreational vessels registered in the United States. Ninety-five percent of these vessels are fueled at retail automotive service stations, and are dependent on a safe and legal fuel supply to operate. Ensuring all consumers have access to approved fuels is absolutely critical to recreational boaters and anglers.”

On Monday, PMAA submitted a
letter for the record to Chairman Barrasso and Ranking Member Carper highlighting its concerns with S. 517. PMAA firmly believes that before Congress proceeds any further on granting a RVP waiver to blends above E10, it must first hold a hearing on the effects of ethanol blends on existing underground storage tank (UST) system infrastructure. The introduction of ethanol blends higher than 10 percent (including E15) present significant economic and legal impediments to many gasoline retailers, as well as, consumer awareness issues that go beyond the price of the fuel. Extending the RVP waiver to E15 at this point further exacerbates these concerns and could force many retailers to invest considerable time and money on an accelerated schedule to switch to an alternative fuel storage and distribution system in order to remain competitive.

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