Members of the Chicago City Council Committee on Finance are scheduled to consider an amended version of the Chicago Clean Air Choice Act on Monday. The ordinance would require large filling stations in Chicago to offer E15 fuel – gasoline that contains 15 percent ethanol.
A group of aldermen first introduced a version of the ordinance in June of this year. A July Finance Committee hearing on the measure featured testimony from experts both for and against the measure, CBS Chicago reported. The ordinance’s proponents have said E15 burns cleaner than gas currently available for sale.
Ordinance co-sponsor Alderman Anthony Beale (9th) noted in a recent press release, “By reducing out dependence on fossil fuels by increasing ethanol usage, this ordinance is supporting a renewable fuel that is grown in America, keeping American dollars and troops at home, instead of sending them overseas.”
Opponents of the measure argued the switch to E15 would be costly for stations and noted that the “AAA has said more than 90 percent of cars on the road have not been approved by manufacturers to use E15.” An expert during the July hearing contended increased use of E15 would lead to a rise in environmental damage from pesticides and herbicides used in growing corn for ethanol production.
Experts testifying in favor of the ordinance in July said that the costs to gas stations of converting equipment for use with E15 would be minimal, according to CBS Chicago. They also pointed out that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved E15 for using in cars manufactured since 2001.
Finance Committee members decided to hold the measure in committee following the July hearing. The ordinance aldermen will consider on Monday has been amended to increase the size of stations exempted from the E15 requirement from those selling less than 500,000 gallons of fuel per year to those selling less than 850,000 gallons of fuel per year. Alderman also revised the proposal to extend its phase in period from 180 days to 360 days.