The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will further delay a decision concerning higher ethanol blending rates in motor fuels, according to a Reuters story.
EPA is considering raising the upper limit for blending ethanol with standard gasoline from 10% to 15% to give greater support to the biofuels industry. In December 2009, the agency said it expected to complete vehicle testing and make a decision by June.
But the agency told Reuters testing is not yet complete and a decision will not be announced until September.
Ethanol groups said the delay is harming the industry, which currently has a supply glut. Currently one in three bushels of corn produced in the U.S. is used to produce ethanol. Opponents of corn ethanol say the crop is better used as a food source and that the environmental impact of corn ethanol is no better than that of gasoline.
However, proponents argue that broad support for the ethanol industry is necessary in order to reach greater production of second-generation ethanol made from non-food feedstocks.
Meanwhile, the auto industry wants thorough testing to be sure that higher blends won’t damage the fuel systems of vehicles.
Read the full story at the link below.
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