Perspectives: The other side of the President’s one-sided E15 “deal”

During a recent visit to Iowa — smack in the middle of corn country — the President announced a policy change that would direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to waive Clean Air Act rules and permit the year-round sale of E15 (gasoline with 15-percent ethanol). Many stakeholders — consumer and taxpayer groups, elected officials, environmental organizations, food producers and boaters, bikers and engine manufacturers — have joined America’s refiners in voicing opposition to this one-sided, illegal move. Read what they have to say about this lopsided “deal:

• Nan Swift, National Taxpayers Union “The administration’s plan to waive the E15 RVP restriction and permit year-round E15 sales is merely a backdoor ‘fix’ to artificially boost sales and justify future government-imposed increases to the ethanol mandate. This could generate enormous new costs for consumers and taxpayers. Misfueling of small engines, lower gas mileage, and engine damage are a direct hit on the family budget. Similarly, due to the high cost of retrofitting gas stations for sale of E15, the USDA will most likely continue to funnel millions in taxpayer dollars in matching-grants for blender-pumps. Consumers have repeatedly made it clear that they do not want more ethanol in their fuel. We need a truly free market, not more government manipulation.”

• David Kennedy, BoatUS “The proposal to permit sale of a fuel (E15) that is both harmful and illegal to use in marine engines during the peak summer boating season is a major concern for boat. The nation’s 11 million recreational boaters want fuel that is safe for their boats, however, this proposed EPA policy change to the Clean Air Act will increase the chances that a boater could inadvertently put engine-killing E15 into their tank.”

• David French, National Council of Chain Restaurants “Expanding the sale of E15 ethanol to year-round won’t make up for the harm corn growers are suffering from the administration’s trade war. Pumping even more ethanol into Americans’ gas tanks is a bad idea for consumers and the environment. There’s a reason blends of ethanol higher than 10% are only allowed to be sold during cooler months – because higher blends like E15 are bad for air quality in warmer temperatures. If the administration wants to help corn growers in Iowa, they should end the trade war with China and restore export markets for America’s farmers.”

• Matt Gruhn, The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas “The dealers of MRAA have seen firsthand the damage that the decreasing availability of ethanol-free gasoline has caused to consumers. The President’s plan to introduce more ethanol into American’s transportation fuel supply will… exacerbate the issue of misfueling at the pump. Instead of implementing a plan that poses numerous dangers to the American consumer, President Trump should take initiative to call for reforming the broken Renewable Fuel standard.”

• Collin O’Mara, National Wildlife Federation “It’s simply not legal under the Clean Air Act to increase the year-round sale of E15 gasoline. The Trump Administration’s overreach underscores the urgent need for Congress to craft meaningful bipartisan reform of the corn ethanol mandate to protect clean water, public health, and wildlife habitat.”

• Ryan Alexander, Taxpayers for Common Sense “E15 costs taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars through subsidies for special blender pumps and fueling infrastructure, and harms small engines and older vehicles. Now the administration wants to throw salt on the wound by expanding 15-percent ethanol blend sales year-round. Instead of making matters worse, market-distorting ethanol subsidies and costly federal biofuels mandates should be scaled back, not expanded.”

• Thom Dammrich, National Marine Manufacturers Association President Trump’s decision to proceed with year-round E15 sales places bad policy on top of bad policy. In addition to being legally dubious, this action will put millions of American consumers at greater risk of misfueling, so a small, politically important group can benefit. The President should abandon this irresponsible proposal and instead work with Congress on reforming the Renewable Fuel standard to deliver changes that result in better outcomes for all Americans.”  

• Jonathan Lewis, Clean Air Task Force “The administration cannot authorize year-round E15 sales without Congress’s approval, and Congress should not give that approval — at least not until safeguards are in place to protect the owners of older cars and other vulnerable engines, [and] not until the impact of E15 on ozone formation is adequately analyzed.” 
• Outdoor Power Equipment Institute “Outdoor power equipment is not designed, built or warrantied to run on fuel containing 15-percent ethanol. It can damage or destroy equipment… As the fuels marketplace has changed, you can no longer count on being able to put the same fuel in your mower that you also use in your car or truck.”
• American Motorcyclist Association “None of the estimated 22 million motorcycles and ATVs in use in this country is certified by the EPA to use fuel containing more than 10 percent ethanol by volume. Allowing additional E15 sales increases the risk of inadvertent misfueling by motorcyclists.”

• Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf “President Trump needs to do the right thing for Pennsylvania’s refinery workers and stop only catering to major ethanol-producing states. Since last year, I have been asking the Trump administration to come to the aid of Pennsylvania refineries that are burdened by unfair rules which make it impossible for them to compete. The Trump Administration’s failure to act puts thousands of good jobs and middle-class families in Pennsylvania at risk.”

• Nick Loris, economist, Heritage Foundation “The Trump administration’s intention to authorize year-round sale of gasoline blended with a 15 percent ethanol mixture, announced Monday, perpetuates bad energy policy, both economically and environmentally.”

• Congressman Gene Green, Democrat, Texas “I have long opposed adoption of E15, and I oppose this decision by the administration. E15 is not a suitable fuel for all vehicles, including boats, older vehicles, ATV’s, and motorcycles. I’m concerned consumers will pay more over time because of wear and tear on their vehicles and I believe that increased use of ethanol can contribute to more pollution during the summer months”

• Michael Lynch, President of Strategic Energy and Economic Research, Inc. “At a campaign rally in Iowa, President Trump indicated that he intends to support requiring a blend of 15% ethanol in the U.S. gasoline supply… It’s roughly the same as if he went to Maine and promised that the government would require all hamburgers to contain 15% lobster meat.”