Blunt renews call for 10 percent ethanol in gasoline

By The Associated Press

Published: Friday, June 3, 2005 12:00 AM CDT

Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt plans to push for enactment next year of a statewide requirement that all gasoline contain at least 10 percent ethanol.

The governor was scheduled to announce the initiative Friday at the grand opening ceremony for an ethanol plant, Mid-Missouri Energy, in Malta Bend.

Blunt proposed the ethanol requirement during his campaign last year but didn't pursue it this legislative session, instead focusing on other issues such as a new school funding formula, lawsuit limits and tighter workers' compensation standards.

But Blunt said the ethanol requirement will be a priority next year.

"There is no reason to remain dependent on Middle Eastern oil when our farm families and farmer-owned cooperatives can produce cheaper, higher quality fuel right here in our own back yard," Blunt said in a statement.

Currently, only Minnesota requires gasoline to be 10 percent ethanol, according to the National Corn Growers Association.

But Montana and Hawaii recently passed similar legislation that will take effect in coming years.

The Malta Bend ethanol plant started operating in February and includes 729 producers from 45 counties.

It is expected to process 15 million bushels of corn a year into 40 million gallons of ethanol.

Missouri offers tax incentives for ethanol production, and the state already has ethanol plants in Craig and Macon that produce about 75 million gallons annually.

Blunt has said it would take between 260 million and 280 million gallons of ethanol annually to add it to all the fuel sold in Missouri.

But he said last fall that potential new ethanol plants could help nearly reach that needed capacity by the end of his term, and additional ethanol could be brought in from other states.


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