Senator Feinstein Reiterates Request to EPA Administrator Whitman
to Provide Ethanol Emissions Analysis
June 10, 2002

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has again urged EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman to provide an analysis of the impacts ethanol plant emissions will have on the environment and public health if the Senate energy bill becomes law.

On May 7, Senator Feinstein wrote to EPA Administrator Whitman raising questions about the impact of the Senate-approved ethanol mandate on air quality. On June 5, Senator Feinstein's office received data from the EPA on current levels of ethanol plant emissions, but did not receive information on the impact that the ethanol mandate approved in the Senate energy bill would have on those emissions.

Under this energy bill, states would be required to increase the amount of ethanol used in gasoline to 5 billion gallons by 2012, from the current level of 1.7 billion gallons.

In a letter to Administrator Whitman, Senator Feinstein wrote:

"I am concerned that the letter I received from Regional Administrator Thomas Skinner failed to address the questions I raised in my initial letter to the Environmental Protection Agency on this issue May 7, 2002."

"I am writing to reiterate my request for an analysis of how much these toxic ethanol emissions will be increased across the United States if we triple the amount of ethanol currently produced, as mandated in the recently passed Senate energy bill."

"This issue is extremely timely because the ethanol mandate will soon be discussed in an energy bill conference committee. I strongly believe the Congress should know the future impact of the EPA's new findings on ethanol plant emissions before its too late."

Senator Feinstein requested that the EPA analysis be provided by July 7, 2002.

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