Boswell Releases Statement on EPA’s Approval of More Vehicles for E15

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Leonard Boswell released this statement after the EPA announced today that it has increased the ethanol blend rate to 15 percent for all cars and pickups built in 2001 and later. This builds upon an October 2010 announcement that approved the use of E15 in cars and pickups built in 2007 and later.

“I am pleased that the EPA has continued to do the research necessary to expand its waiver of E15 to cover more vehicles that are on the road today,” Boswell said. “Moving forward, I would like the EPA to focus on increasing the blend rate to 20 percent, which was what I first requested of Administrator Jackson two years ago. This ruling today will affect more than 60 percent of motorists in the U.S., and grow our state’s ethanol industry to keep good paying jobs in Iowa and bring more dollars to our rural communities. Furthermore, it reduces our nation’s dependence on unfriendly, foreign oil by investing in our domestic energy industry which boosts our economy.”