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"I
still think we can get the rule done in time and what I mean by
that is get the rule in place by start of the summertime," Bill
Wehrum, the agency's assistant administrator for air and
radiation, told reporters at a public event in Washington,
referring to the name for gasoline containing 15 percent
ethanol.
President Donald Trump had promised U.S. farmers and biofuels
producers that his administration would lift a long-time ban on
summertime E15 sales to help boost demand for the corn-based
fuel.
"That was our original goal. I think we can still meet that
goal," Wehrum said, referring to finalizing the rule before June
to get it in place for summer driving season.
The partial government shutdown had raised concerns the effort
might not be completed in time for this year's summer driving
season, which begins in June, because agency workers were
furloughed.
EPA workers are expected back to work soon after an apparent
deal reached on Friday to end the shutdown.
The ban had been imposed over concerns that E15 contributes to
smog in hot weather, though research has since shown that the 15
percent blend of fuel may not increase smog relative to the more
common 10 percent blends that are sold year-round.
E15 has been a hot-button issue between the oil and corn
industries. Farmers and biofuel producers have been lobbying for
an end to the E15 ban to bolster demand, but the oil industry
has expressed opposition to any policy that would further raise
ethanol's share of the fuel market.
(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Writing by Richard Valdmanis;
editing by Diane Craft and Alistair Bell)
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