"Pumping even more ethanol into Americans’ gas tanks is a bad idea for consumers and the environment."
WASHINGTON – Allowing gasoline with a 15 percent blend of ethanol to be sold year-round would be bad for both consumers and the environment, the National Council of Chain Restaurants said today ahead of an expected announcement by the White House.
“Pumping even more ethanol into Americans’ gas tanks is a bad idea for consumers and the environment,” NCCR Executive Director David French said. “Higher blends like E15 are bad for air quality in warmer temperatures.”
“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,” French said. “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.”
Most gasoline sold in the United States contains 10 percent ethanol, but the Environmental Protection Agency currently bans E15 – gasoline with 15 percent ethanol – from being sold during the summer, saying it contributes to air pollution.
The White House is expected to announce today that the EPA will allow year-round sale of E15 in connection with a visit by President Trump to Iowa, a major corn-growing state and the nation’s largest producer of ethanol. Crop prices have fluctuated dramatically since the Renewable Fuel Standard, a federal law requiring that enthanol be blended into the gasoline supply, took effect a decade ago.
About NCCR
NCCR is the leading trade association exclusively representing chain restaurant companies. For more than 40 years, NCCR has worked to advance sound public policy that best serves the interests of restaurant businesses and the millions of people they employ. NCCR members include the country's most-respected quick-service and table-service chains. NCCR is a division of the National Retail Federation, the world's largest retail trade group.