The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and 13 other groups that make up over 90 percent of the retail gasoline providers in the U.S. have issued a joint letter to the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation and the White House asking that any decision on introducing E15 (a blend of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent petroleum gasoline) into the national supply be made slowly. Last month, the EPA punted on making a decision about E15 even though there had been a December first deadline. The Governors’ Biofuels Coalition said then that acting quickly to give E15 the go-ahead was the right move, but the Alliance’s message here is loud and clear:
We urge EPA to base its decision on a complete and sound scientific record, and we urge DOE to help provide this science by spending all the $15 million targeted for expanding and accelerating mid-level ethanol blends research in the 2010 appropriations bill, as directed by Congress and signed by the President on October 28, 2009. Moreover, EPA should reopen the E15 waiver comment period to allow public review of new test data prior to making a final decision on the waiver request.
The organizations behind the letter are worried about possible negative effects of E15 on cars, trucks and refueling station equipment as well as “motorcycle, marine, and non-road equipment.” A decision is expected by June. You can read the letter after the jump and see the full text of the submission in the gallery below.
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[Source: Auto Alliance]
PRESS RELEASE
Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers
American Petroleum Institute
Association of International Automobile Manufacturers
Boat Owners Association of the United States
Engine Manufacturers Association
International Snowmobile Manufactures Association
Motorcycle Industry Council
National Association of Convenience Stores
National Association of Truck Stop Operators
National Marine Manufacturers Association
National Petrochemical and Refiners Association
Outdoor Power Equipment Institute
Petroleum Marketers Association of America
Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America
Subject: EPA’s Pending Decision on the Use of E15, and DOE’s Ethanol Research Program
As a diverse group of stakeholders who want biofuels to succeed in the U.S. and who remain committed to finding the right market solutions for sustainable biofuel use, we are writing to express our concern that EPA may decide to allow E15 based on limited or inadequate data, as implied in its November 30 letter to Growth Energy. We urge EPA to base its decision on a complete and sound scientific record, and we urge DOE to help provide this science by spending all the $15 million targeted for expanding and accelerating mid-level ethanol blends research in the 2010 appropriations bill, as directed by Congress and signed by the President on October 28, 2009. Moreover, EPA should reopen the E15 waiver comment period to allow public review of new test data prior to making a final decision on the waiver request.
We represent, in part, more than 90% of retail gasoline providers, almost all automobile manufacturers and a large majority of motorcycle, marine, and non-road equipment manufacturers in the U.S. market. With the participation of EPA and DOE, many of us have voluntarily shared our technical expertise in the Mid-Level Ethanol Blends Research Coordination Group to develop a thorough research program designed to assess the effects of higher blends of ethanol on the existing fleet of automobiles, motorcycles and nonroad equipment, and retail gasoline station infrastructure. Completion of this testing will provide EPA with statistically meaningful and defensible results that will enable reliable judgments about the effects of higher ethanol blends, including on emissions, and a sound decision about whether to allow higher ethanol blends in the U.S. market.
As you proceed with important decisions that could affect the long term success of ethanol and possibly other biofuels in the U. S. market, it is imperative that those decisions be based on a complete understanding of the potential impacts of increased levels of ethanol on all segments of the end-user market. This approach is critical for satisfying both the national goals expressed in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 and the needs of American consumers.
Sincerely,
Dave McCurdy, President and CEO Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers
Jack Gerard, President and CEO American Petroleum Institute
Michael J. Stanton, President and CEO Association of International Automobile Manufacturers
Nancy Michelman, President Boat Owners Association of the United States
Jed R. Mandel, President Engine Manufacturers Association
Ed Klim, President International Snowmobile Manufactures Association
Tim Buche, President Motorcycle Industry Council
Henry Armour, President and CEO National Association of Convenience Stores
Lisa Mullings, CEO National Association of Truck Stop Operators
Thomas J. Dammrich, President National Marine Manufacturers Association
Charlie Drevna, President National Petrochemical and Refiners Association
Kris Kiser, Executive Vice-President Outdoor Power Equipment Institute
Dan Gilligan, President Petroleum Marketers Association of America
Kenneth Doyle, Executive Vice-President, Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America
Cc: The Honorable Tom Vilsack, Secretary of USDA