I

107TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2017

To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a study of the feasibility of developing regional vehicle fuel specifications for the United States and of implementing the use of a uniform

blend of gasoline in the Midwest region of the United States.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 25, 2001

Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin (for himself, Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, Mr. PETRI, Mr. BARRETT of Wisconsin, Mr. KLECZKA, Mr.

WELLER, Mr. JOHNSON of Illinois, Mr. KIRK, Mr. KENNEDY of Minnesota, and Mrs. BIGGERT) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

A BILL

To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection

Agency to conduct a study of the feasibility of developing

regional vehicle fuel specifications for the United States

and of implementing the use of a uniform blend of gasoline in the Midwest region of the United States.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. STUDY.

4 The Administrator of the Environmental Protection

5 Agency (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Administrator’’),
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1 in consultation with the Energy Information Administra2 tion, shall conduct a study of—

3 (1) the feasibility of developing regional vehicle

4 fuel specifications for the contiguous United States

5 that would—

6 (A) enhance flexibility in the fuel distribu7 tion infrastructure and improve fuel fungibility;

8 (B) reduce price volatility and costs to con9 sumers and producers;

10 (C) meet local, regional, and national air

11 quality requirements and goals; and

12 (D) provide increased gasoline market li13 quidity; and

14 (2) the feasibility of alleviating gasoline supply

15 problems and inflated gasoline prices through the

16 use of a uniform blend of ethanol-based gasoline in

17 the various regions of the United States, focusing on

18 the Midwest region, and addressing—

19 (A) whether it is feasible, practical, and

20 advisable to use a single, uniform blend of eth21 anol-based gasoline in the Midwest region of the

22 United States, rather than the numerous dif23 ferent blends that are required under Federal,

24 State, and local law;
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1 (B) the regulatory and statutory changes

2 that would be required to permit the use of

3 such a single blend of gasoline throughout the

4 Midwest region;

5 (C) any modifications to refineries needed

6 to enable such refineries to produce a sufficient

7 amount of such a single blend of gasoline to

8 supply the entire Midwest region;

9 (D) the amount of ethanol that would be

10 required to produce a sufficient amount of eth11 anol-based gasoline, and whether the ethanol in12 dustry has the capacity to meet the probable

13 demand;

14 (E) the length of time that would be re15 quired to replace the various blends of gasoline

16 with a single blend of ethanol-based gasoline;

17 and

18 (F) whether producing such a uniform

19 blend of gasoline would have the effect of low20 ering and stabilizing gasoline prices in the Mid21 west region, in all areas including nonattain22 ment areas, as defined by section 171(2) of the

23 Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7501(2)).
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1 SEC. 2. DEADLINE.

2 The study required by section 1 shall be completed

3 not later than 4 months after the date of the enactment

4 of this Act.

5 SEC. 3. REPORT.

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Upon completion of the study, the

7 Administrator shall report her findings, conclusions, and

8 recommendations to the Congress.

9 (b) SPECIFIC CONSIDERATIONS.—The Administra10 tor’s conclusions and recommendations shall include pro11 posed boundaries for each region of the United States as

12 contemplated by the study, taking into consideration any

13 practical, technical, political, and legal concerns, and may

14 also identify other potential means for alleviating gasoline

15 supply problems and inflated gasoline prices.

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