Bill Extends E10's RVP Waiver to E15

STREATOR, Ill. (DTN) -- Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, on Monday introduced a bill in the U.S. Senate to reform the Environmental Protection Agency's Reid Vapor Pressure requirement.

EPA regulates RVP in conjunction with ozone emissions, with RVP a measurement of how quickly fuel evaporates into the atmosphere. RVP ratings are most stringent during the summer months when ambient temperatures are their highest.

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Bill S. 889, the "Fuel Choice and Deregulation Act," would loosen those requirements for gasoline with ethanol above a 10% concentration rate by providing a one pound wavier that would allow for a summer RVP rating above the current 9.0 psi standard. E10 is already afforded this waiver, with the bill targeting E15, gasoline with 15% ethanol content.

"Congress had previously directed EPA to issue a one pound waiver for ethanol blends up to 10%, allowing E10, or a blend of 10% ethanol in gasoline, to be sold at 10.0 psi," said Paul in a news release, saying S. 889 extends the waiver to higher blends of ethanol including E15.

"We certainly support efforts by Senator Paul and Senator Grassley to remove a major hurdle preventing consumers the opportunity to purchase higher blends such as E15," said Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy, an ethanol trade association.

"This has been a major obstacle ever since Growth Energy led the successful effort to get E15 approved for commercial use," Buis added.

(BM/AG)

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