House Study Bill 770
PAG LIN
1 1 HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO.
1 2 BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
1 3 RESOLUTION BY CHAIRPERSON MERTZ)
1 4 A Concurrent Resolution urging the United States
1 5 Environmental Protection Agency to take all actions
1 6 necessary to provide American consumers with the
1 7 opportunity to use higher ethanol blended gasoline
1 8 for general use in conventional engines.
1 9 WHEREAS, the State of Iowa is the leading producer
1 10 of corn in the United States, with over 2.5 billion
1 11 bushels harvested in 2007, the largest harvested crop
1 12 in the history of Iowa; and
1 13 WHEREAS, the State of Iowa is the leading producer
1 14 of ethanol in the United States, with nearly 2 billion
1 15 gallons produced in 2007, the largest annual ethanol
1 16 supply produced in the history of Iowa; and
1 17 WHEREAS, from 1991 it has been the policy of the
1 18 State of Iowa, as codified in Iowa Code chapter 159A,
1 19 to encourage the development and use of fuels and
1 20 coproducts derived from agricultural commodities in
1 21 order to increase the production and consumption of
1 22 renewable sources of energy, to reduce dependency upon
1 23 petroleum products, and to reduce atmospheric
1 24 contamination from the combustion of fossil fuels; and
1 25 WHEREAS, studies funded or supported by the Energy
1 26 Foundation, National Science Foundation, and Renewable
1 27 Fuels Association, as well as a literature review
1 28 commissioned by the Governor's Ethanol Coalition, all
1 29 confirm that ethanol is an environmentally sound
1 30 alternative to fossil fuels; and
2 1 WHEREAS, a recent study cosponsored by the United
2 2 States Department of Energy and the American Coalition
2 3 for Ethanol, and conducted by the University of North
2 4 Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center, and
2 5 the Minnesota Center for Automotive Research, provides
2 6 evidence that fuel mileage increases and motor fuel
2 7 emissions decrease when motor vehicles operate using
2 8 increased volumes of ethanol blended with gasoline;
2 9 and
2 10 WHEREAS, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture is
2 11 leading an effort to establish the scientific basis
2 12 required by the United States Environmental Protection
2 13 Agency to provide a waiver of relevant standards
2 14 promulgated by the agency under the federal Clean Air
2 15 Act, including but not limited to 42 U.S.C. } 7545 and
2 16 40 C.F.R. pt. 80 for the sale of gasoline containing a
2 17 higher than 10 percent volume of ethanol for general
2 18 use in gasoline=powered engines; NOW THEREFORE,
2 19 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THE
2 20 SENATE CONCURRING, That the Iowa General Assembly
2 21 urges the United States Environmental Protection
2 22 Agency to actively support all research and
2 23 development needed to make higher ethanol blended
2 24 gasoline, such as E=15, E=20, or E=30, immediately
2 25 available to American consumers; and
2 26 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Iowa General
2 27 Assembly urges the United States Environmental
2 28 Protection Agency to immediately commission and
2 29 complete all studies needed to determine issues
2 30 regarding health, the environment, and engine
3 1 performance using higher ethanol blended gasoline; and
3 2 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Iowa General
3 3 Assembly urges the United States Environmental
3 4 Protection Agency to immediately review and approve an
3 5 application to be submitted by the State of Minnesota
3 6 and the Renewable Fuels Association for a waiver to
3 7 allow consumers to immediately use higher ethanol
3 8 blended gasoline for general use in conventional
3 9 engines; and
3 10 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of
3 11 this Resolution be sent to the President of the United
3 12 States, and the Administrator of the United States
3 13 Environmental Protection Agency; and
3 14 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That suitable copies of
3 15 this Resolution be sent to the President of the United
3 16 States Senate; the Speaker of the United States House
3 17 of Representatives; the Chairperson of the United
3 18 States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and
3 19 Forestry; the Chairperson of the United States House
3 20 of Representatives Committee on Agriculture; the
3 21 Secretary of the United States Department of
3 22 Agriculture; and the members of Iowa's congressional
3 23 delegation; and
3 24 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of
3 25 this Resolution be sent to the Governor of the State
3 26 of Minnesota.
3 27 LSB 6188HC 82
3 28 da/rj/5
1