Say No To E-15

Field of Dreams, Not Facts: The Truth Behind the Ethanol Myth

According to its advocates, ethanol is the silver bullet for our agricultural economy, environment and will lead the way to our independence from foreign oil. However, a hard look at the facts points to the opposite conclusion. The facts, many from academic and governmental studies, clearly demonstrate that ethanol is not cost-effective, requires massive subsidies, may actually be worse for the environment than fossil fuels, negatively impacts food and commodity prices and doesn’t enhance energy security. As Cornell University’s David Pimentel noted, “when it all comes down to it, ethanol amounts to nothing more than “subsidized food burning”.

The HVA strongly opposes ethanol mandates and subsidies – the following are resources and information related to our campaign to block E15 at the pump.

Because of its corrosive and water absorbing properties, ethanol, or gasoline containing ethanol, cannot be moved through traditional petroleum pipelines and tanks. Instead, in a process known as “splash blending” ethanol is blended into gasoline at terminals near the gas stations.

This “splash blending” means that the ethanol levels actually in the gasoline at the pump may differ from what is actually labeled at the pump. Because of this variation and the inconsistencies in the label laws among the states, the HVA recommends carrying a fuel test kit to ensure an acceptable level of ethanol in the fuel destined for your tank.