(April 11, 2013) WASHINGTON — Following a reckless, revisionist statement by the American Fuel and Petroleum Manufacturers Association (AFPM) attempting to compare the recent New Hampshire MTBE lawsuit loss by the oil industry to E15, Bob Dinneen, President and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, emphatically responded:

“AFPM and the oil companies are living in a fantasy parallel universe if they think they can revise history to tarnish E15 and the RFS.  MTBE did not go through the same 211F waiver process that E15 did.  MTBE did not undergo six million miles of testing like E15 did.  The oil companies pushed 15 percent MTBE approval under a much less rigorous waiver process that did not require the robust emissions and drivability testing that E15 has successfully completed.  Oil companies also did not conduct extensive 211(b) health effects testing prior to the registration of MTBE for commercial use.  Oil companies chose MTBE over biodegradable ethanol because it was a product they produced and it increased their profits.  In fact, they used MTBE to keep ethanol out of the market because the two fuels could not be used together.  Unfortunately, MTBE was not compatible with the fuel distribution system.  It leaked from tanks and quickly migrated to drinking water supplies.  MTBE is toxic.  Oil companies losing the court case in New Hampshire screams a dire warning that oil companies should not be trusted with our energy future.  Oil companies have a disturbing track record of putting their monopoly ahead of innovation and progress, and their profits ahead of consumer pocketbooks.  AFPM’s pernicious campaign against ethanol and the RFS, as reflected in this latest attempt to blame EPA for the oil company’s investment in toxic MTBE to be used as another rock to throw at America’s most successful biofuel and energy policy is just the latest, sad, desperate example.”