TO: Reporters and Editors
RE: E15 Action by EPA
DA: Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2010
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey issued the following statement on the announcement today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allowing the blend of ethanol in unleaded gasoline to increase from 10 percent to 15 percent in 2007 model year vehicles and newer. A decision by EPA on whether unleaded fuel with 15 percent ethanol (E15) will be allowed in vehicles from the 2001 model year and newer is expected later this year.
Iowa is the nation’s largest ethanol producer, with about 4 billion gallons of the 12 billion gallons produced annually. The state has 40 active ethanol plants.
Northey’s statement follows here:
“While this decision is good news and a step in the right direction, it actually does very little to increase ethanol demand or usage. Until E15 is approved for more vehicles it is unlikely that it will be available as widespread as it should. I believe the science is there to approve E15 for more vehicles and I hope EPA moves forward with that decision quickly.”
