LINCOLN, NE . The 22-state Governors' Ethanol Coalition has reiterated its request to United States Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Carol Browner to maintain ethanol's role in the modified reformulated gasoline that goes on sale in the nation's smoggiest cities in January 2000. This written request follows a conference call on the issue during the National Governors' Association annual meeting last month.

According to Kansas Governor and Coalition Chairman Bill Graves, ethanol's benefits and acceptability have been proven in the current phase of the reformulated gasoline program. "Governors do not want to lose the clean air benefits that ethanol can provide while EPA is making gasoline cleaner," he said.

Iowa Governor and Vice Chairman Tom Vilsack said, "As a group, we wanted to let Administrator Browner know the agency should proceed with carbon monoxide credits, oxygen averaging and pump labeling." A recent National Research Council report recommended amending the reformulated gasoline program regulations to account for ethanol's impact on ozone from reduced carbon monoxide emissions. It concluded that approximately 20 percent of the ozone-forming potential from vehicle emissions was attributable to reduced levels of carbon monoxide.

Nebraska's Governor Mike Johanns, who also participated in the National Governors' Association conference call, said, "We have provided state-level experts to the EPA to help with the development of the new reformulated gasoline. We hope for a positive response by mid-September."