http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/16072/story.htm Planet Ark : US EPA, ethanol industry to meet on pollution probe
USA: May 22, 2002 WASHINGTON - The U.S. ethanol industry, suspected by the government of violating the Clean Air Act, will sit down with the Environmental Protection Agency early next month to hammer out a compromise that would avoid numerous federal investigations. Industry officials have indicated they would seek a quick resolution with the EPA, to avoid any disruptions their efforts to triple production of the corn-based gasoline additive over the next decade. A recent EPA investigation found several ethanol production facilities were emitting air pollutants such as carbon monoxide at a much greater rate than previously stated by the companies. EPA claims the problem is industry-wide. EPA said it will meet with at least 21 Midwestern ethanol companies at its agency's Chicago office on June 3. The two sides were expected to meet earlier this month, but the talks were rescheduled due to a scheduling conflict. Companies invited to attend include agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland and farm cooperative Land O'Lakes. EPA said the primary source of pollution at ethanol plants was the drying process that turns the "mash," or corn residue, into livestock feed. The industry has said it did not know of the problem until EPA began performing new environmental tests last autumn. EPA said if an agreement could not be reached at the meeting, the agency would remedy the violations company-by-company. Environmental groups have expressed concerns the EPA might use the private meeting to cut a favorable deal with the ethanol industry. An energy bill passed last month by the U.S. Senate would triple ethanol use by 2012. That provision is expected to emerge in a final energy bill that will be negotiated by lawmakers in both the House and Senate over the next few weeks. REUTERS NEWS SERVICE ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Buy Stock for $4 and no minimums. FREE Money 2002. http://us.click.yahoo.com/orkH0C/n97DAA/Ey.GAA/9bTolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuels at Journey to Forever http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuel at WebConX http://www.webconx.com/2000/biofuel/biofuel.htm List messages are archived at the Info-Archive at NNYTech: http://archive.nnytech.net/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
