EPA delays pollution rules for ethanol plants

Des Moines Register
Blog post by Philip Brasher • pbrasher@dmreg.com • January 14, 2011

The Environmental Protection Agency has put off regulations that could have required most ethanol plants in Iowa and elsewhere to have pollution permits because of the carbon dioxide they emit. The EPA, which is starting to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, had planned to include the emissions that come from fermenting corn and burning biomass in power plants. However, the EPA is delaying regulations on those biogenic emissions for at least three years, effectively putting off the issue until after the 2012 election.

Many large ethanol plants already have to get EPA permits because of other types of pollution they emit. But industry officials said that nearly every plant would have to get the permits as well if their carbon dioxide emissions are counted. Along with getting the permits, polluters have to report emissions and pay annual fees.

Officials in the ethanol industry say the biogenic emissions shouldn’t be counted against them since growing the corn that is used to make the biofuel takes carbon dioxide out of the air. The issue also is a problem for the biomass power industry.

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