Despite the support of Florida’s commissioner of agriculture for biofuels production, despite two recent ethanol history-making races held in the Sunshine State, and despite a new campaign that “Florida Needs Ethanol” – a bureaucratic snag is keeping Marathon Oil from blending and distributing 10 percent ethanol-enhanced fuel in Florida.

According to an article in the St. Petersburg Times, Marathon and the state department of agriculture are “at an impasse.”

Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services says it is unwilling to tweak state regulations until it gets scientific data to satisfy a fuel vapor issue, which officials fear could cause vehicles to stall in hot weather.

Marathon wants the state to modify the standard so its fuel would comply. The Houston-based company points to other states where regulations have been modified to suit E10 suppliers. Among them are Arkansas and Louisiana, which have climates similar to Florida’s.