EPA expects to eventually green-light E15

Posted on 02 December 2009
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The Environmental Protection Agency said it would probably increase the amount of ethanol that gasoline retailers could blend into ordinary fuel to 15 percent if tests show the blend would not damage cars.

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The agency said it was likely to approve the increase next summer, but perhaps for use only in cars of the 2001 model year and later, according to an article in The New York Times.

The federal agency was set to release its decision Monday on a waiver request by Growth Energy, a pro-ethanol lobby group, for higher ethanol blends, but said it needed more time to review test data.

"This announcement is a strong signal that we are preparing to move to E15, a measure that will create 136,000 new U.S. jobs, cut greenhouse gas emissions and lessen America's dependence on imported oil," said Gen. Wesley Clark, co-chairman of Growth Energy, in a statement.

A decision by the EPA is expected in mid-2010, the agency said on its Web site.

"In a letter sent [Monday] to Growth Energy ... the agency said that while not all tests have been completed, the results of two tests indicate that engines in newer cars likely can handle an ethanol blend higher than the current 10 percent limit," the EPA said in a statement.

"The agency will decide whether to raise the blending limit when more testing data is available. EPA also announced that it has begun the process to craft the labeling requirements that will be necessary if the blending limit is raised," the agency added.

The National Marine Manufacturers Association interpreted the EPA's delay in ruling as a positive sign.

"We are pleased that EPA has acknowledged our concerns with E15 and elected to delay final judgment until more studies can be completed. We continue to call for more testing on marine engines and boat fuel systems," said Mat Dunn, NMMA legislative director, in a statement.

"Any attempt to 'bifurcate' the fuel supply by allowing E15 for only certain automobiles would lead to a myriad of misfueling, liability and consumer safety issues and likely cause the price of fuel for boaters to increase while availability of compatible blends decreases," he added. "Although EPA has noted that it is working on pump labeling requirements should higher blends be permitted in the marketplace, it is not yet clear if these efforts are sufficient to ensure that the nation's 70 million boaters are protected from these very serious concerns."

Click here for the full New York Times article.

Comments Comments are closed
12 Sunday, 27 December 2009 17:41

E15 will void the warranty of every outboard motor currently sold in the US.


The use of E10 has destroyed 1000’s of outboard motors in the southeastern US and cost US boaters millions of dollars in needless repairs; ethanol + gasoline = water in fuel tanks. Why don’t you Midwest folks use all the E15, E40 or E100 you want. Please stop trying to get the feds to force this inferior fuel down our fuel tanks. Ethanol fuel “enriched” fuels simply won’t work in high humid, high temperature environments with open fuel systems.

11 Thursday, 03 December 2009 13:08
In all of the comments made on this subject why is it nobody has brought up the fact that at least in 3 states around ohio the alchol mixture is only at 6-7%.  Apparently they can't mix the gas currently to 10% how is 15% going to help?  We test gas in alost every boat we service and our own supply tanks every time it is topped of.
10 Thursday, 03 December 2009 02:31
All the previous comments are right on.  I guess our industry just doesn't carry enough political weight to get noticed by those who have the power to do what's right.  This is just one more example as to why more and more people have no faith in the political system.  For us in the marine industry, this means just one more weight put on our backs as we try to provide the public with a family recreation.  Some time in the not too distant future we may be remembered as fondly as the horse and buggy.  Luckily the EPA wasn't around in those days, or the horse would have been phased out much sooner.
9 Thursday, 03 December 2009 01:31
Robbie is absouletly correct! Our dependecny on oil will increase. Back in 2006 Consumer Reports blended up E15 gas and ran it in a new Chevy Tahoe and if I recall the fuel economy decreased by over 20%. Ouch. How do you get through to any of these people. It seems like all of us out here are in agreement yet Washington DC is on another planet with an agenda.
8 Wednesday, 02 December 2009 23:32
Dealing with e10 has been interesting to say the least! We have come to believe e-10 is actually the marine industries simulus package, but insteade of being paid by the government, we have to be paid by the consummer for all the damage it has caused. Looks like e-15 will be even better! Maybe insteade of voicing our objection to e-15, we should start sending every service order for every boat motor or any motor for that matter that is afected by e-10 to our legislators showing the other side of the leger and balance the "savings of ethonal against the actual costs". Or maybe I should just be silent and be thankful for the increase in business e-10 has brought me. Drat, I own a boat too!
7 Wednesday, 02 December 2009 18:34

Once again politicians making decisions that should be made by engineers.What a crock. One more example of the media deciding what we see/hear also.


Don't think I've ever seen a single written word in any public newspaper or TV news about the lack in energy efficiency of Ethanol compared to gas. Notice in the article it quotes a "request by a pro Ethanol lobbyist group". Drag racers running any form of alcohol have to recalibrate their fuels systems to nearly double the volume to make the same power. They've done and known this for a 100 yrs but it's not in the news??


After the government drives our country in the ground then maybe someone will point out the reasons we still depend on fossil fuels.


We need to cut the crap, get the price of diesel fuel in line for cars, dive into nuclear power and drill off our shores.


OK, I feel better.

6 Wednesday, 02 December 2009 17:02

Well said Robbie!!!  

5 Wednesday, 02 December 2009 17:00

Let's help them with a high tech scientific test.  Take two lawn mowers and run them with regular gas for 1 hour.  Then top one off with regular gas and one with E15.   Let them sit for 3 months.  Come back and see what happens.  We already know what E10 did to everything around my marina.


Now do the same with two Honda motorcycles, two Sea Doos, two outboard motors.....Then two Honda Generators, two chain saws, two leaf blowers.  We already know the answer to the test....


The marine industry needs it's own ethanol free fuel.


We know the Feds/EPA could care less about the marine industry and boaters in general.  They are kind of like the trailer manufacturer who told me to have my boat manufacturer build the boats to fit their trailers because they were not going to design their trailers to fit our boats.....   (So I switched to Venture Trailers and they build to suit).  The fuel companies, EPA and Feds expect the marine engine manufacturers to build the engines to run on water and junk and they are still required to install the pumps on the side of the hot engines, release fuel pressure into the intake manifolds, and vent the tanks to the atmosphere.   Scientiists and Engineers need to stop being "Yes" men and women.


Let's see how Congress is going to try to re-write the laws of physics.  After all, it is a law so they think they can change it.

4 Wednesday, 02 December 2009 16:56

Instead of subsidizing the ethanol industry which uses corn and is raising the cost of our food and pollution of its own, put the money into research.  Place a big prize on success in making cheap alternate fuels and pay it!  Private money went to the X-Prize winners and who knows, someday they might be outsourced by NASA to fly astronauts?


Don't purpetuate the creation of new crisis' for America. Solve the problems we have without creating new ones. The results of this boondogle are predictable.

3 Wednesday, 02 December 2009 16:37
I would like to see the EPA's proof that ethanols blends help our ecconomy.  Now that global warming is comming into question, perhaps the entire ethanol as an oxegenator is also bunk!
2 Wednesday, 02 December 2009 16:32
Are claims of a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and increased jobs really true or just random claims from an influential lobby? In addition, if engines of model years older than 2001 can't tollerate E15 does that mean dealers will have to supply both or will it be optional to supply E15?
1 Wednesday, 02 December 2009 16:13

AS FAR AS THE QUOTE BY GEN. CLARK, EMISSIONS WILL GO UP BECAUSE WITH MORE ETHANOL WE WILL GET LESS MILES PER GAL. THIS IS BECAUSE THE E-15 FUEL DOES NOT HAVE THE POWER  COMPAIRED TO E-10 OR STRAIGHT FUEL. THE PUBLIC WILL BURN MORE FUEL TO GO THE SAME DISTANCE. HOW CAN THIS HELP WITH OUR DEPENDANCE OF IMPORTED OIL. THE 136,000 JOBS WILL BE NEEDED TO REPAIR ALL OF THE MOTORS THAT WILL NOT WORK PROPERLY WITH E-15 FUEL. THE PRICE OF FUEL WILL GO UP. WE WILL NEED MORE CORN WHICH WE DO NOT HAVE. THE PRICES OF FOOD HAVE GONE UP BECAUSE OF THE WASTED USE OF CORN FOR OUR E-10 FUEL. THE COST OF REPAIRS WILL BE ANOTHER BURDEN TO AMERICANS AT A TIME WHEN OUR ECONOMY IS IN THE DUMPSTER. E-15 IS A VERY BAD IDEA. THANKS FOR HEARING ME OUT.

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