Ryan battles on against boutique gas

Monday, April 18, 2005 12:15 PM CDT

Once more into the fray.

U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., is fighting the good fight again this spring, trying to get Congress to limit the boutique gasoline blends that hurt the wallets of drivers here in southeastern Wisconsin.

It's an uphill battle against the petroleum industry which profits very nicely, thank you, when supply disruptions and shortages cause price spikes at the pumps.

Racine along with the rest of Wisconsin's Lake Michigan shoreline counties in federal air quality non-attainment areas are held hostage to higher prices in such situations since they are not easily allowed access to other gasoline blends.

Ryan's proposal is to spell out policies for 20-day regulatory waivers from the federal Environmental Protection Agency that would mitigate price spikes during supply emergencies.

It would also cap the number of fuel blends that can be used in the United States - there are now 45 of them - and work over time to consolidate those blends which would go a long way toward preventing specific-blend shortages. He also calls for a federal study of boutique blends by the Department of Energy and the EPA to overhaul the federal fuel systems and find a way to maximize supplies, mitigate price volatility and still achieve air quality protection.

Ryan has fought this fight before but it may gain some extra traction this time given the ballooning prices of oil already this year. He says the chances for passage are better in the coming two weeks because the proposals have already been included in the energy bill that is now under consideration by Congress - which gives them a better chance than through the amendment process.

Oil industry opposition will still be there, of course, to defend the boutique fuels and their bottom lines.

"That is a bonanza to the oil refinery industry and to the gasoline markets," Ryan said this week.

We don't know if this time will be the charm - we're hopeful. The price bump at the pumps already this year have had a noticeable impact on families and businesses throughout the state and the switchover to summer fuel blends that often triggers higher prices has not yet begun.

Wisconsin is ready to do its part to clean up the nation's air, but shouldn't be needlessly gouged in the process and Congress should fix that.

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