This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, March 8, 2011 - WASHINGTON - With Arab unrest sparking price hikes at gas pumps, more than a third of U.S. senators are backing a bill sponsored by U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt that aims to make so-called "boutique" gasoline blends more reliable and affordable.
Such blends, required by St. Louis and many other cities during warm months to help meet federal air quality standards, help limit chemical emissions. But because so many different blends are required around the country, Blunt and others contend that they can lead to higher gas prices if some blends are in short supply.
Blunt's bill, called the "Gas Accessibility and Stabilization" (GAS) Act, would allow a reduction in the number of approved boutique fuels by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. At times of temporary gasoline shortages, the legislation would also give communities more flexibility in their choice of blends.
Blunt contends that such an approach would "help drive down costs for households and small business owners" at times of fuel shortages when the rules would kick in. "We have a responsibility to work together to ensure Americans have access to affordable and reliable American-made energy sources," he said in a statement.
At least 37 other Republican senators, including Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., had agreed to cosponsor the GAS Act, a Blunt spokeswoman said Tuesday. Blunt made the rounds of television programs, appearing on MSNBC and Fox News to promote the bill.
The legislation is a retread of a bill that Blunt introduced as a U.S. House member in the last two Congresses, then called the "Boutique Fuel Reduction Act." That bill, which was opposed by some environmental groups, did not advance.
A boutique fuel is a unique fuel blend developed by a state or local air pollution agency and approved by EPA as part of an implementation plan to help meet national air quality standards. According to the EPA's 2006 "Boutique Fuels Report," a 2005 energy bill limited the future growth of new boutique fuels and gave the EPA some authority "to waive boutique fuel requirements when necessary to help alleviate unexpected supply disruptions."
A Blunt staffer said the GAS Act's provisions are the same as the senator's earlier legislation amending the Clean Air Act to give the EPA the power to waive temporarily or ban use of a fuel additive in "extreme and unusual circumstances that prevent the distribution of an adequate supply of fuel or fuel additives to consumers."
The bill also said the EPA should not have the authority, when considering a state implementation plan or revision, to approve any fuel included in such plan or revision if the new boutique blend increases the total number of such blends authorized as of September 2004.
Blunt called the legislation "a good start in the right direction" because -- in times of shortages -- it would allow "a reduction in the number of approved boutique fuels and provide communities with more response flexibility during times of temporary shortage."