EPA takes steps toward boosting ethanol blend in auto gas tanks

KansasCity.com (Kansas City Star)
Posted on Tue, Dec. 01, 2009 11:21 PM
By STEVE EVERLY
The Kansas City Star

The Environmental Protection Agency took a couple of big steps Tuesday toward putting more ethanol in our gas tanks:

The agency said it was clear that raising the current limit of 10 percent ethanol in gasoline to 15 percent was needed to meet federal requirements for more ethanol production.

And it said, based on research so far, that vehicles starting with the 2001 model year appeared able to use the 15 percent blend without being damaged.

The EPA stopped short of approving the higher blend, something ethanol trade groups had hoped it would do this week. But the EPA said it was inclined to do so by next June, pending the results of another test being conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy on the effects of longer-term use of the 15 percent ethanol blend.

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