A National Research Council report on the effects of reformulated gasoline on the ozone goes beyond the limits of NRC's original charge from the Environmental Protection Agency, says the Renewable Fuels Association.  By doing so, it draws conclusions about the efficacy of the reformulated gasoline program without the benefit of public comment or full use of scientific data, says RFA.

"The National Research Council was asked by EPA to provide guidance on whether changes to the existing program (for example, credit for reductions in carbon monoxide) were justified on the basis of ethanol's increased oxygen content," said Eric Vaughn, RFA president.  "The committee, however, took it upon itself to go beyond its original charge and examined the efficacy of the RFG program itself.

"In doing so, the committee did not have the benefit of public comment on these complex issues nor fully availed itself of the scientific data regarding the air quality benefits of oxygenates.  It is simply impossible to draw conclusions about the efficacy of oxygenates in RFG without considering the dilution effect of oxygenates and the impact on air quality of the gasoline components that might be used to replace the large volume and octane lost if oxygenates were not used in RFG."

Vaughn also expressed "dismay" that the committee did not do a more "robust analysis" of the relative ozone impacts of 10% ethanol and 11% MTBE fuels, choosing instead to restate the conclusions of a 1998 California Air Resources Board study "that was extremely limited in its scope (only six vehicles tested) and which failed to evaluate the impact on emissions from high emitting vehicles."