Parson seeks EPA approval for year-round E15

Gov. Mike Parson is asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to allow Missouri to sell E15 fuel year-round.

Parson is seeking an extension of an emergency waiver this spring that allowed E15 – gas blended with 15% ethanol – to be sold during the summer, according to a news release from the Missouri Corn Growers Association. That waiver was temporary.

“Allowing E15 sales to continue this past summer helped extend tight fuel supplies and provided Missouri drivers with lower-priced options at the pump during a period of record high fuel prices and turmoil in the world energy market,” Parson said in a Dec. 21 letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan. “However, it is clear that relying on emergency waivers for year-round sales of E15 is not a long-term solution for Missouri's fuel retailers, farmers and ethanol producers, consumers or the environment. Thus, I am joining other Midwest states in seeking a permanent solution to allow year-round E15 and further reduce emissions.”

The EPA earlier this year began looking at expanding sales of E15 year-round, according to reporting by Convenience.org. The fuel type has not historically been allowed for sale during summer months because of smog, though research reportedly has found that E15 is not a significant contributor, according to the report.