By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis – Gasoline sold everywhere in Missouri will soon contain 10 percent ethanol.
Governor Matt Blunt signed legislation Wednesday that requires gas stations to sell what's known as E-10 beginning in 2008.
Many states are replacing the fuel additive MTBE with ethanol because of the additive's possible link to health problems. And that's driven the price of pure ethanol over $4 a gallon.
But Blunt says in 18 months there will be enough production capacity to meet demand.
To meet this 10 percent requirement, we need 285 million gallons of ethanol each and every year," Blunt said. "In the very near future, Missouri farmers will produce more than 300 million gallons of ethanol, which means will meet the requirement and still have ethanol that we can export to other states."
But the law contains a failsafe provision if ethanol prices remain high.
Any time ethanol-blended fuel costs more than regular gas, the rule will be suspended.
An EPA air quality order already requires gasoline sold in the St. Louis area to contain 10 percent ethanol.