EPA Grants Waiver For E15

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, Gina McCarthy, announced that EPA has granted the waiver request to allow the use of 15% ethanol in gasoline. McCarthy said the waiver is for model year 2007 and newer vehicles. She also announced a separate proposal being put forward by EPA concerning labeling.

“To eliminate opportunities for misfueling, EPA is also proposing a program to properly label fuel pumps that dispense E15,” McCarthy said. “This would include a requirement that the fuel industry specify the ethanol content of gasoline they sell to retailers. There would also be a quarterly survey of retail stations to help ensure their gas pumps are properly labeled.”

McCarthy said testing continues on vehicles made from 2001 to 2006, and a decision on whether the waiver will be extended to those vehicles will be made after testing is completed in November. ◆