Critics sound off on EPA's E15 decision, say it's the work of the "Ethanol Promotion Agency"

Filed under: Ethanol, Legislation and Policy, USA

Supporters of the EPA's decision yesterday to approve ethanol blended up to 15 percent in gasoline - and to be used in model year 2007 and newer cars - were the first out of the gate with statements of approval. Today we get the backlash.

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), while supportive of using more biofuels in vehicles, said the EPA is "missing an opportunity" by limiting E15 to cars made in the last three or so years. Calling the 2007 dividing line, "scientifically unjustified," the RFA's president and CEO, Bob Dinneen, said:

This decision continues to leave the market artificially constrained and further limits market opportunities for next generation biofuels very close to commercialization.

The National Petrochemical & Refiners Association went much further (to no one's surprise). NPRA's executive vice president and general counsel, Gregory Scott, said in a statement that the EPA:

abdicated its responsibility to safeguard our nation's public health and environment and became the Ethanol Promotion Agency.

That's actually kind of clever, but the rest of the statement (available in full after the jump), isn't exactly credible. For one thing, it calls gasoline "safe," when the big picture is not at all that simple.

Then we have the Brazilians - specifically, the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) - which believes that the EPA's decision means it is time for American ethanol producers to give up trade protection and compete without subsidies. Joel Velasco, UNICA's chief representative in North America, argues that America's ethanol tax credit and import tariff should expire as scheduled at the end of the year to "help lower gas prices, save taxpayers money and provide Americans with greater access to advanced renewable fuels like sugarcane ethanol." Nothing like a good biofuel turf fight.

[Source: UNICA, National Petrochemical & Refiners Association, RFA | Image: ALAIN JULIEN/AFP/Getty Images]

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Critics sound off on EPA's E15 decision, say it's the work of the "Ethanol Promotion Agency" originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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