USDA chief backs ethanol blend boost in gasoline

Reuters
Mon Mar 9, 2009 2:45pm EDT
By Christopher Doering

WASHINGTON, March 9 (Reuters) - An increase in the ethanol-gasoline blend rate to 12 or 13 percent could be accomplished quickly and with minimal scientific review, giving a needed boost to the future of the industry, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on Monday.

A formal request to boost the ethanol blend rate to as high as 15 percent from the current cap of 10 percent was submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last week by Growth Energy, an ethanol trade group. The EPA has 270 days to review, collect public comment and make a decision.

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