Another E15 decision expected soon

The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to rule later this month on the use of E15 in vehicle models from the years 2001-2006, a decision the agency postponed last fall because it had not completed its tests, the National Marine Manufacturers Association reports.

This is in addition to its October ruling allowing E15 in cars built in 2007 or later.

On Jan. 6, a bipartisan group of nine U.S. senators urged the EPA to overturn its decision to allow E15 in vehicles built in 2007 and later, noting that the agency's decision "to allow the use of an even higher level of ethanol - E15 - for some types of vehicles fails to adequately protect against misfueling and will add unnecessary confusion at the gas pump for consumers," the NMMA reports.

These comments are in addition to others from lawmakers and those in a variety of industries that oppose the EPA's decision.

The NMMA, the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers - in a newly formed coalition, the Engine Products Group - are among the groups challenging the EPA's decision in court.