Ethanol Groups Comment on EPA Regs

Cindy Zimmerman

Eliminating the unnecessary regulatory barrier to year-round sales of E15 tops the wish list of reforms that the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) requested from the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) in comments to the agency Monday.

“While there are a number of EPA regulations that need reforming, the most pressing is the agency-imposed restriction that denies consumers year-round access to E15,” said RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen.

The comments were submitted in response to EPA’s request for input on “burdensome, conflicting, or unnecessary regulations” that should be repealed or reformed, which was the result of a presidential order. Also on RFA’s list was streamlining survey programs intended to monitor and verify fuel quality and regulatory compliance, and reforming the petition process for new certification fuels (e.g., high octane mid-level blends like E25 or E30).

Comments from Growth Energy mainly urged the agency to administer the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) as enacted into law by Congress and make every effort to get annual renewable volume obligations proposed, out for public comment, and finalized in a timely manner. Also related to the RFS, the association called on the agency to finalize its denial of the petition to change the point of obligation.

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) submitted comments last month, also putting Reid vapor pressure (RVP) relief for E15 at the top of its list.

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