EPA Assistant Administrator Bill Wehrum provided details to reporters Friday morning of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final rule related to retail sales of 15% ethanol blended fuel and renewable identification number (RIN) transparency.

EPA finalized regulatory changes to allow gasoline blended with up to 15 percent ethanol (E15) to take advantage of the 1-psi Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) waiver that currently applies to E10 during the summer months. EPA is also finalizing regulatory changes to modify certain elements of the renewable identification number (RIN) compliance system under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program, in order to bring greater transparency to the market and deter price manipulation.

Wehrum explains the final rule and how it differs from the proposed rule. “We’re doing this because it’s a very important presidential priority,” said Wehrum. “We think this is a win-win, we think it’s going to provide substantial additional market opportunity for ethanol producers.”

Wehrum said EPA is confident in the legality of the final rule. “We know there are folks that disagree with us and some are going to challenge what we’ve done today… but we believe we have very good defenses to the claims that they are going to bring and we believe we are going to prevail in the end.”

Regarding the controversial portion of the proposed rule that would have impacted blender pumps, Wehrum said the final rule makes no changes in blender pump regulation.

Listen here: EPA Assistant Administrator Bill Wehrum press conference