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E15

EPA to Allow Summer Sales of E15

By General Posts

Friday, the Biden Administration issued an emergency waiver allowing for the sale of E15 from June 1st to September 15th. Restrictions on fuel volatility have limited the sale of E15 to the months outside of summer. This move by the Biden Administration is an attempt to appease lawmakers from corn producing states, who for years have lobbied for year-round use of the fuel. A similar emergency waiver was issued in 2022.

As always read your owner’s manual, know what you are putting in your bike, and be an educated consumer.

To read more about the decision click here.

About Motorcycle Riders Foundation: The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) provides leadership at the federal level for states’ motorcyclists’ rights organizations as well as motorcycle clubs and individual riders. Visit http://mrf.org

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EPA to Expand E15 Ethanol Fuel Sales into Summer

By General Posts

Following long-fought debate, the Biden Administration announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will issue a temporary waiver to allow for the summertime sale of gasoline with up to 15% ethanol (E15) to help address high fuel costs. Currently, E15 cannot be sold between June 1 and September 15 due to fuel-volatility concerns that higher blends of ethanol combined with warmer temperatures may lead to increased ground-level ozone formation and smog. The agency will review the waiver every 20 days to determine if remaining in place is justified.

Summertime sales of E15 has been a hot-button issue for years. The Biden Administration says this latest decision is based on its authority to pursue a temporary emergency action.

Ethanol, especially in higher concentrations such as E15, can cause metal corrosion and dissolve certain plastics and rubbers in older automobiles that were not constructed with ethanol-resistant materials and in certain specialty high-performance equipment installed on newer vehicles. SEMA opposes the expansion of E15 gasoline as a lack of clear labeling on gas pumps does not provide sufficient protection to guard against misfuelling.

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Ethanol in the Courts and in Congress

By General Posts

In the last few weeks, the ethanol industry has suffered two major court case defeats. Earlier this month, the D.C. Court of Appeals struck down the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule allowing for year-round sales of E15. In May 2019 the EPA issued a rule change ending a summer ban on the sale of E15 blend. Provisions of the Clean Air Act have prohibited the sale of certain fuels with a higher volatility from June 1 through Sept. 15, including E15. The court ruled that Congress did not intend to allow ethanol blends higher than 10% to be sold year-round and that the EPA overstepped its authority by implementing the change.

Not surprisingly, in response to the court ruling, a bipartisan group of lawmakers from major corn producing states introduced a bill Wednesday that aims to allow the year-round sale of gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol. U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Deb Fischer (R-NE) and U.S. Representatives Angie Craig (D-MN) and Adrian Smith (R-NE) introduced bipartisan bills to permit the year-round sale of E15. The bill was cosponsored in the Senate by Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Tina Smith (D-MN) and John Thune (R-SD). In the House Representatives, Cindy Axne (D-IA), Rodney Davis (R-IL), Dusty Johnson (R- SD) and Mark Pocan (D-WI) were all original cosponsors of the bill.

This legislation faces a tough road ahead in Congress with a diverse set of stakeholders and lawmakers opposed to increased ethanol mandates. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation applauds the court for striking down the year-round mandate and will work with like-minded groups to oppose legislation that would reopen the door to the year-round sale of E15.

To read what pro ethanol Senators are saying about their bill and the need for year-round E15 click here. To read what pro ethanol Representatives are saying on the topic click here.

Also in June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of a small Wyoming refinery that had previously been granted waivers from the EPA to comply with blending requirements of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The RFS, passed by Congress over a decade ago, recognized that small refiners face unique economic challenges to comply with ethanol blending requirements.

Congress delayed implementation of some requirements for small refiners and created a waiver process run by the EPA. During the Trump Administration the number of waivers given to refineries increased greatly and the ethanol industry sued to rescind some of the waivers. The decision by the Supreme Court last month opens the door for continued use of these waivers by refiners to avoid blending their fuel with ethanol.

Visit https://mrf.org/

Harmful E15 Fuel Labeling Changes that Could Hurt Engines

By General Posts

MIC Tackles Harmful E15 Fuel Labeling Changes that Could Hurt Engines

The MIC is opposing proposed changes by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to modify and remove E15 fuel labeling requirements at gas pumps nationwide. This fuel includes high levels of ethanol, between 10.5 and 15 percent, which can harm powersports engines, degrade performance, increase emissions, cause fuel leaks and even engine failures – as well as voiding manufacturer warranties.

The proposed labeling changes will make it more difficult for consumers to distinguish the difference between E15 and the less harmful E10 fuel, and will fail to communicate the risks of improper E15 use.

“While we appreciate the addition of the word ‘motorcycles’ in the proposed label, we are concerned that the other significant changes to the label minimize its effect and make it look like just another sticker, rather than an alert that people need to pay attention to,” said Scott Schloegel, senior vice president at the MIC Government Relations Office.

“The proposed warning label does not adequately notify consumers about the improper use of E15,” he said. “To the contrary, the proposed changes stress ‘Safe for use in’ rather than drawing ‘ATTENTION’ to the label and instructing them to ‘Use only in’ certain products. The proposed label also removes other critical alert language and replaces it with more matter-of-fact language as outlined in the comparisons below.”

The MIC’s GRO has written to the new EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan, stating that the proposed labeling changes will result in adverse environmental, safety, and economic consequences, and deny consumers basic information about engine compatibility. Under the proposed labeling requirements, the words “ATTENTION” and “E15 Up to 15% Ethanol” and “Use Only In” would be replaced with “Contains Up to 15% Ethanol” and “Safe for Use In.”

“The labeling changes do not adequately alert tens of millions of powersports consumers,” Schloegel said. “Fuel dispensers should absolutely be equipped with clear and direct signage.”

A Harris Poll conducted in February 2020, on behalf of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, found that an increasing number of Americans, nearly two in five last year, mistakenly believe that high-ethanol gasoline blends are safe for use in lawn equipment or other small-engine products. The poll found that more than three in five Americans assume that any fuel sold at pumps nationwide is safe for all of their gas-powered products. Further, many consumers said that E15 labeling was ineffective in communicating the danger of using that fuel type in small engines found in motorcycles, ATVs, side-by-sides, and other gasoline-powered machines.