[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 9 (Monday, January 24, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H402]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               THE LEAVING ETHANOL AT EXISTING LEVELS ACT

  (Mr. BURGESS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, today I want to talk about legislation that 
I will reintroduce that will put a pause on the Environmental 
Protection Agency's actions in moving forward with a waiver for an 
increase in the amount of ethanol in gasoline.
  Currently, gasoline contains a 10 percent blend wall. In October of 
this past year, the EPA granted a waiver for the allowable amount of 
ethanol to increase to 15 percent.
  I have questioned their decision to move forward with a waiver for 
E15. I was wholly dissatisfied with the response they gave in a 
briefing last fall. They deferred to the Department of Energy's 
research. Does the EPA not employ its own scientists and experts? Is it 
the EPA's position that it is incapable of doing its own research?
  Mr. Speaker, we are all aware of the problems that occurred in 2008 
with food-to-fuel diversion and the resultant increase in price in 
commodities. I don't believe the EPA has done its due diligence. And 
certainly they haven't provided information that would disprove any 
fears about the use of E15 causing mechanical failures and fires, 
particularly in smaller engines.
  My bill will allow for a pause and allow for more assurances to be 
made that the increase in the blend wall for ethanol will be safe. The 
security of the public's well-being should be paramount in this issue.

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