EPA waiver for E15 looking more doubtful

摘要

EPA has until Dec. 1 to respond to a call by ethanol lobbyists for a waiver for 15% ethanol blends (E15). But the answer the biofuels community may get is just a request for more research.rnMargo Oge, director of EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality, says that although petitioner Growth Energy provided the agency with significant amounts of data on the legal and technical justifications for allowing E15 sales, the agency may seek more information.rnEPA received around 80,000 comments during the comment period, which ended in July, Oge told attendees of OPIS' 11th Annual National Supply Summit in Las Vegas this week.rnIt was clear that comments fell into two distinct camps: 1) "Don't do it. You can't legally, you don't have the data and it'll destroy cars" and 2) "You can do it legally and technically," she said.rnBefore granting a waiver, EPA has to evaluate the emissions impact of E12 and E15, two of the proposed alternatives to E10, that have the same legal and technical challenges, she said.