of its rhetoric but did not functionally reverse it position, as
Darbelnets testimony before Congress on July 23 shows:
"AAA believes that ethanol-blended fuels have the potential
to provide motorists a clear choice at the pump that supports jobs, promotes energy independence and reduces fuel
costs. Both E10 and E85 provide options for consumers
at this point, and AAA would support a motorists right to
choose E15 once basic thresholds have been met regarding
consumer protections."
There are also strong concerns at the American
Motorcyclists Association. "Our position is we want safe
and proven fuels for use in our members' products," Said
AMA spokesman Pete terHorst. "We are not opposed to
ethanol in concept if it is a safe product — and its proven
safe — then we would recommend it but right now we don't
see that with E15."
Ethanol supporters see the liability issue as being overblown, and driven more by oil company market share
concerns.
"The idea that we would all be using a fuel that was safe
and 10 percent but devastating at 15 percent just seems
ridiculous to me," said Ron Lamberty, senior vice president
at the American Coalition for Ethanol. "I own a couple of
gas stations and have been in the convenience store busi-
www.npnweb.com n NPN Magazine
ness for 30 years. We sell several things that are known to
kill you, like cigarettes. We sell stuff that makes you fat. We
sell stuff that can get you drunk and potentially kill you.
We sell stuff that's been proven to pollute the air and cause
respiratory diseases and the focus on an additional 5 percent
of something you could drink seems to me to be a misplaced
focus on 'liability.' These other things are of no concern
apparently yet this one is.
"If ethanol had not been tested and tested and tested
in a product that we've been using — if it was an issue we
certainly would've seen it. It's ridiculous that this is what is
driving the debate, in my opinion."
Regardless of the political and competitive dynamics, the
blend wall is an issue today and there has been a strong push
to take a closer look at the Renewable Fuel Standard with
talk ranging from reform to repeal.
In the Courts
This summer has seen some notable action — or to be
more precise inaction — on E15 in at the court level.
A number of trade groups including American Petroleum
Institute and those representing various meat producing
sectors had filed suit over the EPA's authority to waive a
prohibition on the use of E15 as a fuel. In August, 2012,
September 2013
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