Ethanol and water, hold the ice
Recent claims from some marine engine manufacturers that E15 ethanol blends will ruin marine engines are meant solely to incite fear and not meaningful discussion. A meaningful discussion would note that E15 is illegal for use in marine engines, that the testing being cited is not comprehensive, and that the ethanol industry has repeatedly extended olive branches to work on the concerns boaters and others have raised.
E15: Moving Forward
With EPA’s final label for E15 ethanol blends now in the books, the real work must begin. Educating retailers about the safe and legal sale of the E15 blends, expanding ethanol fueling infrastructure, and putting the concerns of consumers to rest about the use of E15 in their approved vehicles must be and will be at the heart of what the ethanol industry and the RFA do in the coming months and years.
When Engineering Fails…Blame Ethanol?
The fine folks at STIHL Incorporated have recently recalled 2.3 million gasoline-powered yard tools like edgers and trimmers. The reason? Ethanol, says STIHL. But an examination of the facts, and STIHL own warranties approving the use of 10% ethanol blends, demonstrates that the issue not with the fuel, but with the engineering of the equipment itself.
Nebraska Takes Important Step to Increasing Ethanol Use
The Nebraska Senate has taken an important step toward increasing the state's use of domestically produced ethanol by approving a bill to repeal labeling requirements for 10 percent ethanol blends. This is a good first step, but oil interests in the state will not swallow this bill without a fight.
EPA E15 Label Cries Wolf
On November 16, the EPA will hold a public hearing about its proposed label for E15. While many of the people in the room may choose to use the venue to express their frustration about the decision as a whole, it shouldn’t take away from the fact that EPA’s proposed label will do little more than scare consumers. It needs to change.
RFA Members Among Recipients of Safety Awards
Safety at an ethanol plant is always a number one priority of RFA Members, and any U.S. ethanol facility for that matter. The industry supports thousands of jobs throughout the country at these plants, and it is important the personnel know they are going to work in a safe environment every day. Earlier this week ERI Solutions Inc, the industry leader for safety services in grain ethanol, announced the winners of their third annual ERI safety awards. Each year, there are three levels of awards given to ethanol producers who have exemplified ideal safety conditions in their facilities and show commitment to continuing these efforts year after year. Of these three levels of awards, there were quite a few RFA Member plants who were honored recipients.
