WASHINGTON, June 15, 2012- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today gave the final approval to move forward with the sale of E15 ethanol blends. In response to the approval, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said “the last significant federal hurdle has been cleared to allow consumers to buy fuel containing up to 15 percent ethanol.”
“This gets us one step closer to giving the American consumer a real choice at the pump,” Vilsack said. “The public has a right to choose between imported oil and home-grown energy and today's action by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advances that goal.”
The EPA action allows E15 to be used by model year 2001 and newer passenger vehicles. The final issue preventing E15 from moving forward focused on residual fuel left in the hose of single hose pumps that would offer E15 and other fuels. With guidance from the EPA, fuel providers and retailers wishing to sell E15 can do so provided they register with EPA and follow approved misfueling mitigation protocols.
The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and Growth Energy called the announcement “a victory for American consumers."
“Higher level ethanol blends, like E15, offer consumers greater choice at the pump while further reducing our dependence on imported oil,” according to the joint RFA and Growth Energy statement. “Ethanol is reducing our addition to foreign oil, lowering the price of gasoline, and creating domestic jobs that cannot be outsourced.”
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