Senate Bill Would Legalize Nationwide E15 Gas Sales

Two senators think your car needs more corn in its diet.

On Tuesday, November 29, Senators Deb Fischer of Nebraska and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota introduced a bill which calls for nationwide sales of E15 gasoline. Yes, that’s right, if this legislation winds its way through the Senate and House without being severely changed, your car could in the near future be subsisting on more corn juice than currently.

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While it might be shocking that such legislation has been introduced in the midst of a growing food and fuel crisis globally, even more alarming is that the American Petroleum Institute has thrown its support behind the bill.

Of course, corn farmers and the ethanol industry are just head over heels about API backing this bill. However, as Reuters points out in a report, it’s too early to tell if there’s enough support in the Senate for it to pass to the House, let alone if it will survive passage there.

Currently, E10 is allowed to be sold year-round nationally under federal law. However, E15 can’t be sold in the summer months, thanks to EPA regulations. This bill seeks to annihilate that restriction.

There are many reasons people aren’t fans of ethanol added to gasoline. It reduces fuel economy and produces more air pollution than just pure gasoline, earning enemies from those who truly care about those issues. What’s more, many argue it diverts resources from the production of food, increasing the prices of many foodstuffs on the open market.

For those who own classic cars, ethanol can cause a bevvy of problems. The corn-derived product can eat through different components, especially seals. What’s more, it draws in water from the surrounding air, leading to destabilized fuel in gas tanks.

Despite all the drawbacks, there’s enough money in the addition of it to fuel that we’ve gone from E5 to E10 and possibly soon to E15. If you’re not a fan of this move, now is the time to let your voice be heard and encourage others to do the same.

Source: Reuters

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