EPA postpones decision on ethanol requirements

Associated Press
7.23.08
By BETSY BLANEY

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday put off a decision on Texas' request to temporarily lower ethanol requirements for gasoline, a change Gov. Rick Perry says is needed to rein in corn prices.

EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson said the agency needs more time to review more than 15,000 public comments and consult with other departments. A decision had been due Thursday; the agency now says it hopes to have a decision in early August.

An energy bill passed in December required 9 billion gallons of ethanol to be blended into gasoline from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31 of next year. Perry, a Republican, asked the EPA in April to drop the Renewable Fuels Standard requirement to 4.5 billion gallons because the demand for ethanol is raising corn prices for livestock producers.

Perry said in a statement that he's glad Johnson and his staff are being diligent.

Read the full story