Groups rally to fight against E15
A number of environmental organisations and companies, including small engine manufacturers and food producers, have joined forces in an attempt to discourage Congress and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from promoting the widespread consumption of E15.
In the groups’ first ad, ‘Say no to untested E15’, they state that the ethanol blend should only be increased following more tests and claim that E15 will result in automobile and recreation engines to stall.
According to Charles Drevna, president of the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association: ‘Some ethanol companies want consumers to pump first and ask questions later. They [Congress and the EPA] shouldn’t authorise E15 unless full and complete scientific testing confirms it’s safe and compatible with all gasoline-powered engines.’
The campaigners believe that the testing which is being carried out fails to include engine durability, durability of fuel pumps and fuel lever sensors and vapour leakage from parked cars.
However the CEO of Growth Energy, the US-based group which filed the original E15 waiver request in March last year, Tom Buis, dismissed the claims, explaining that the tests being conducted by the DoE are extremely thorough. This comes after Growth Energy received a letter from the DoE in December 2009 explaining that vehicles built in 2001 or later obtained no negative effects after running on the E15 ethanol blend. It is now believed that the EPA could approve a partial waiver that would see the more recently built vehicles only utilising E15.
While the EPA is thought to announce its verdict on the E15 waiver towards the end of this year, the groups campaigning against E15 are said to be conducting their own tests on E15, which are not expected for a number of years.
In the groups’ first ad, ‘Say no to untested E15’, they state that the ethanol blend should only be increased following more tests and claim that E15 will result in automobile and recreation engines to stall.
According to Charles Drevna, president of the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association: ‘Some ethanol companies want consumers to pump first and ask questions later. They [Congress and the EPA] shouldn’t authorise E15 unless full and complete scientific testing confirms it’s safe and compatible with all gasoline-powered engines.’
The campaigners believe that the testing which is being carried out fails to include engine durability, durability of fuel pumps and fuel lever sensors and vapour leakage from parked cars.
However the CEO of Growth Energy, the US-based group which filed the original E15 waiver request in March last year, Tom Buis, dismissed the claims, explaining that the tests being conducted by the DoE are extremely thorough. This comes after Growth Energy received a letter from the DoE in December 2009 explaining that vehicles built in 2001 or later obtained no negative effects after running on the E15 ethanol blend. It is now believed that the EPA could approve a partial waiver that would see the more recently built vehicles only utilising E15.
While the EPA is thought to announce its verdict on the E15 waiver towards the end of this year, the groups campaigning against E15 are said to be conducting their own tests on E15, which are not expected for a number of years.
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