EPA opens public comment period on regulations and ACE jumps in

In Washington, EPA Administrator Pruitt issued an agency-wide memorandum on implementation of Executive Order 13777 on March 24, which announced members of the required Regulatory Reform Task Force and directed program offices to seek public input on existing regulations and report findings to the Task Force. EPA formerly began seeking public comments on April 11 and they will be accepted through May 15.

The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) submitted a public comment with the following recommendations to tackle regulatory burdens which unnecessarily limit the production and use of ethanol and stall job creation and economic growth in rural America.

Allow Reid vapor pressure (RVP) relief to E15 and higher ethanol blends. Update the lifecycle analysis of corn ethanol. Modify EPA’s mistaken interpretation of Section 211(f) of the Clean Air Act, because it currently limits the concentration of ethanol in fuel without cause. Streamline the approval process for high-octane fuels such as E25-40 blends.

Adjust fuel economy (CAFE) compliance to allow flex fuel vehicles to utilize the same incentives that are provided to other alternative fuel vehicles. Discontinue use of the MOVES2014 emissions model until a new emissions study based on real-world test fuels and methods is conducted.