E15 study bill passes House committee

Posted on 10 February 2012

The U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology approved a bill this week from Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., that would require a comprehensive assessment of the scientific and technical research on the implications of fuel with more than 10 percent ethanol.

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“I am pleased that the committee voted … to put science before politics. When it comes to a decision of this magnitude that would impact every American who owns a car, boat, or lawnmower we must base our decisions on sound science, not political expediency,” Sensenbrenner said in a statement.

The bill passed the committee by a vote of 19-7.

“The administration has fast-tracked E15 without considering that increasing the percentage of ethanol in our gasoline will cause premature engine failure, lower fuel efficiency and void vehicle warranties. In small engines, E15 is downright dangerous, and the EPA has no credible plan to stop misfueling. If ethanol is going to be the ‘fuel of the future,’ then there should be no problem conducting independent, comprehensive scientific analysis of its effect on American drivers,” Sensenbrenner added.

Thirty-one organizations offered support for the bill, including the National Marine Manufacturers Association and BoatUS.

The NMMA reported that the ethanol industry is facing a lengthy and uncertain schedule as it seeks to comply with a host of EPA rules and state requirements to allow distribution of gasoline containing E15 in the retail market.

The EPA, in information posted on its website late last month, did not say when it expects to complete the health and other testing needed to register the fuel, approve an industry misfueling mitigation plan and other steps necessary to allow the industry to sell the fuel — even after it granted the air act waivers, the first step in the lengthy approval process.

Ethanol industry sources say they are moving ahead to clear a host of regulatory and legal steps to ensure that the fuel is ready for sale and distribution once the court approves the EPA's waivers, the NMMA reported.

Lawsuits over the E15 waivers have been consolidated in the suit Grocery Manufacturers Association, et al., v. EPA.

Oral arguments in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit are scheduled for April 17.

Comments

Facts:
-Ethanol is environmentally damaging in water use and land use
-It gains nothing in terms of replacing petroleum use as its production
consumes roughly an equivalent amount of oil energy
- It is not cheaper without gov subsidies and penalizes gas mileage with
its lower energy content, penalizing the consumer and taxpayer
- Its absorption of more than 1/3 of US corn has driven food prices
orbital, dramatically hurting the consumer/taxpayer

Opinion:
- Using corn for ethanol and thus restricting the supply of the mainstay of the US and global food supply is blatantly immoral.

I am absolutely amazed at the amount of mis information presented here.
1. Ethanol is a very clean burning fuel. A positive
2. Ethanol, any blend, cannot be added to a fuel delivery system that is not designed for it. True.
3. Any gasoline powered internal combustion engine can be easily designed for Ethanol. The Brazilians did it for all motor vehicles, cars, trucks, motorcycles, lawn mowers, chainsaws etc. All manufactures know what components are needed. True ( so if your equipment was not engineered to run with some ethanol in the fuel, blame the engine manufacturer, not the government)
4. Ethanol is renewable. Positive. ( ok Corn is not the best raw material, everyone knows this. Cane Sugar and Sugar Beets are much better.)
5. Ethanol production and use does not require our military to support our demand.
6. Ethanol production, from growing crops to fuel refinement and delivery, would employ Americans. Positive.
7. Read and study what Brazil did in the 70's as a result of the first oil embargo. Are you seriously telling me that as Americans we cannot do better than the Brazilians?
8. Any auto made since the mid 90's can run on Blends of Ethanol, from E10 to E30. Since 2002, up to E50.
9. Ethanol does have less power per gallon. The price is also equivalently less. It's a zero sum game. Positive.
10. Ethanol has much higher Octane so high compression engines can be designed to take advantage of higher octane. High compression equals more torque.
11. Science and facts should not be twisted by inaccurate political agendas.

We should not pass any bill with Ethanol in it. In the start it was to save money,use less gas,better the air quality it has done none of these. It has made all gas and deasel engines have gasket and fuel lines soft.Your engines do not run as good and do not better the gas mileage,I know by own engins when I add Enzyme Fuel Treatment there is a noticeable difference in running and milage. We have been sold a bill of goods that don't wokk. Remove all Ethanol from gasoline. Joe Halliday

Please remember that E-15 was not a government initiative. The corn lobby, using funds that they lobbied for in the first place for subsidies to make an inefficient process to make alcohol, rammed E-10 down our throats. When they made so many processing plants they could not sell it all, then they lobbied to raise the limits to E-15. Don't blame the administration, it was the mostly Republican legislators kowtowing to the farm lobby that started it all.

although I applaud this requirement, the better sentiment is to think about....."when is enough>enough", throw all the buggers out and start over!

Not only am I a boater, but I am also a Rancher. The ethanol causes more problems to chain saws, mowers, tractors, generators, every implement involved with ranching than I have funds to correct. This is typical government gone crazy.

It is about time. The focus of the study should be whether there is ANY benefit to ethanol useage to anyone outside of the corn lobby. As a marine mechanic by trade, I've see the damage and as a homeowner have rebuilt the carbs on my small engine equipment time and time again. Ethanol is just another example of moronic legislation driven by greed.

Here's a sad story about what can happen when misfueling:

http://blog.wired2fish.com/blog/bid/70569/Ethanol-Nightmares-in-Fishing-Boats

Anger Jason Baggett said to me that due to cost of repairs to his engine he had to stop fishing tournaments this year as he didn't have enough money left for entry fees.

While I am opposed to ethanol at any level as well as the lobbyists who now dominate this government created so-called industry, I am pleased that some semblance of common sense has prevailed here. I hope this study adheres to the usual government time-lines and at least 10 years will be applied to the study.

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