U.S. EPA may issue E15 gasoline plan without biofuel credit trade limits - sources

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS FEBRUARY 11, 2019 / 6:07 PM / UPDATED 9 HOURS AGO

Exclusive: U.S. EPA may issue E15 gasoline plan without biofuel credit trade limits - sources

Humeyra Pamuk
3 MIN READ

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is considering releasing its draft proposal to expand sales of higher ethanol blends of gasoline without including simultaneous measures it promised the oil industry to curb biofuel credit speculation, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

The move would help the agency lift a summertime ban on sales of so-called E15 gasoline in time for the U.S. driving season, but is likely to anger oil refiners that had been asking the Trump administration for biofuel credit market reforms to reduce their costs.

If EPA passed on introducing biofuel credit trading limits, it would leave the door open to potential speculative price surges that could cost refiners like Valero Energy Corp hundreds of millions of dollars. President Donald Trump announced in October he was directing the EPA to allow year-round sales of E15, in a win for the powerful corn industry which supplies ethanol. E15 gasoline contains 15 percent ethanol, versus the 10 percent found in most U.S. gasoline.

The ban had been imposed over concerns that E15 contributes to smog in hot weather.

“President Trump charged EPA with issuing a new rule on E15 RVP and RIN market reform and doing that in a timely manner remains our goal,” EPA spokesman Michael Abboud said in email comment.

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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-ethanol-epa-exclusive/exclusive-epa-may-issue-e15-gasoline-plan-without-biofuel-credit-trade-limits-sources-idUSKCN1Q02HQ

[The Figment]

1. Just what we need

If you own an older car it won't like this stuff.

It rots all the rubber lines and gaskets in your fuel system.

Your gas mileage will go down.

And it will cost more.