A couple of weeks ago I posted a blog entry on the conditional E15 waiver, and how ethanol associations weren’t particularly pleased with the move because it would do little at this point (until E15 across the board is approved) to increase blend levels, as well as cause confusion, misfueling and warranty issues. I however viewed it differently, and saw it as a step in the right direction for ultimately tearing down the blend wall to allow cellulosic development to grow.

Today the Petroleum Marketers Association of America and the Renewable Fuels Association are urging their members to limit E15 sales to flex-fuel vehicles until regulations governing the fuel are finalized and implemented.



Below is the joint memorandum:

To PMAA and RFA Members:



The Environmental Protection Agency’s recent approval of E15 for a portion of the U.S. light duty vehicle fleet is but the first step in a detailed process required to ensure E15 can be offered in the market place. As many of you know from previous communications, there are a cadre of regulations, standards, and labeling issues that must be addressed to allow retailers to legally offer E15 to those non-flexible fuel vehicles the EPA has approved.



Recently, press reports and releases have featured retailers that have installed an E15 button on their blender pumps. While this demonstrates that the infrastructure to dispense E15 is growing, it is still unlawful to sell E15 to anything other than a flexible fuel vehicle, even though EPA has approved E15 for 2007 and newer vehicles. Until health effects testing is completed, fuel producers have a 211(b) certification from EPA, certain state fuel regulations amended, and EPA’s misfueling and labeling proposed regulation finalized, E15 sales must be confined to and labeled specifically for flexible fuel vehicles only.



We encourage all of you to remain vigilant so that you and others do not unintentionally offer E15 to customers driving non-flexible fuel vehicles. E15 will provide consumers and marketers another option to maximize their domestic renewable fuel use. But failing to adhere to the legal steps required to do so may give our fuel products and our industries an unnecessary and avoidable black eye.