The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an emergency fuel waiver under the Clean Air Act allowing the sale of E15 gasoline nationwide this summer. This is the fourth year in a row that the EPA has taken this action.

EPA’s emergency fuel waiver will go into effect on May 1 when terminal operators would otherwise no longer be able to sell E15 in the affected regions of the country and will initially remain in place through May 20, the maximum number of days allowed under the Clean Air Act.

“In the absence of permanent legislation, we applaud EPA’s use of its regulatory waiver authority to permit E15 sales through the summer season,” stated Matt Durand, deputy general counsel at NACS. “Our members and their customers rely on a consistent, fungible, reasonably priced fuel supply, and emergency waivers can help to preserve that in the face of market disruptions.”

Additionally, in response to requests from the Governors of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin, the EPA has also waived provisions that would have otherwise made E10 gasoline sold in those states meet a more stringent standard than conventional gasoline in other parts of the country. EPA’s action for these states means E15 and E10 are sold across the region on equal footing, “helping ensure adequate gasoline supplies to consumers across the country.”

Earlier this month, NACS joined a coalition letter to EPA, reiterating the need for nationwide emergency RVP waivers this summer and supporting the inclusion of E10 for the Midwestern states in addition to E15 nationally.