11/21/05 Legislature to look at ethanol bill

The legislature is going to take another look at ethanol blended gasoline. Russ Hendricks of the Idaho Farm Bureau says this new effort tries to eliminate the concerns raised in last year's failed bill. HENDRICKS "Once there is 30 million gallons of production of ethanol here in Idaho then the renewable fuel standard will take effect and the gasoline throughout the state would have a ten percent blend of ethanol." Hendricks says the proposed bill does not provide for any incentives to ethanol producers but it does provide the market. HENDRICKS "It also provides clean air benefits. It also helps to reduce our dependence on imported fuel here in Idaho." It would take 60 million gallons of ethanol to provide the ten percent blend in Idaho gasoline at today's consumption rates. Hendricks says this proposed bill has been taken to the state Department of Environmental Quality who has obvious concerns about air quality. HENDRICKS "We have a proposal that they're fully supportive of and that they will be there with us shoulder to shoulder in the committee hearings this session." We'll follow the bill's progress and keep you up to date. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott