EPA expected to make big ethanol announcement Wednesday

The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to announce Wednesday that a higher blend of ethanol in gasoline is safe to use in newer vehicles, but not safe for engines in cars a decade or older, sources said. 

EPA will grant a waiver allowing E-15 — consisting of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline — to be used in cars and light trucks for model years 2007 and newer. 

Currently, there is a 10 percent ethanol limit in gasoline for cars and light trucks. 
 
The agency will also say that it is not safe to use E-15 in model years 2000 and older, or in motorcycles, heavy-duty vehicles, non-road engines or offroad vehicles, sources following the issue said.
 
The agency is not expected to make a decision on whether a higher ethanol blend is safe for model years 2001 through 2006 until later this year, sources said.
 
The expectation is for an early afternoon announcement, though EPA has not yet posted any notice. “Stay tuned,” an EPA official told The Hill. The official did not offer any specifics about an upcoming announcement.