WASHINGTON - Over the weekend, the House voted to stop the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from going forward with its E15 waiver that lets the higher ethanol blend be sold at gasoline stations, the Detroit News reports.

The agency had given a waiver for E15 to be sold for 2001 model year and newer vehicles. Currently, most fuel pumps dispense only E10.

Rep. John Sullivan (R-OK) sponsored an amendment to the government-funding bill that blocked the EPA from going ahead with the waiver. "The EPA has completely ignored calls from lawmakers, industry, environmental and consumer groups to address important safety issues raised by the 50 percent increase in the ethanol mandate issued over the past year. Putting E15 into our general fuel supply could adversely impact up to 60 percent of cars on the road today leading to consumer confusion at the pump and possible engine failure in the cars they drive," he said.

The House also approved a different amendment that wiped out a tax subsidy for gasoline stations to install pumps capable of dispensing different blends of fuel. Several groups of automobile makers and other associations lobbied Congress to okay the amendment.

"The Sullivan amendment reflects widespread concern about the potential consequences of using E15 in non-approved engines," said John Eichberger, NACS vice president of government relations. "NACS shares these concerns and has urged EPA to issue labeling requirements for dispensers selling E15 that effectively warn consumers against misfueling. But there are a variety of other issues associated with E15 that must also be addressed and NACS is working to resolve those issues and give retailers a choice of which fuels to sell.

"If the Sullivan amendment is enacted into law, then the debate will refocus on the primary underlying problem facing the industry: overcoming the blend wall?"the market limitation that prevents the industry from complying with the federal Renewable Fuels Standard," said Eichberger.