EPA seeks more comment on ethanol blend rate

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday it was extending for 60 days, until July 20, the public comment period on a proposal to increase the amount of ethanol that could be blended into gasoline to as much as 15 percent per gallon of motor fuel.

Ethanol is now approved to make up 10 percent of gasoline in cars and trucks. Producers are pushing the government to allow higher ethanol blend levels, as more ethanol will be required each year under federal law.

Congress required 9 billion gallons of ethanol and other biofuels to be blended into gasoline last year. The amount will rise annually toward 36 billion gallons a year in 2022.

Growth Energy and 54 ethanol manufacturers petitioned the EPA on March 6 to allow gasoline to contain up to 15 percent of ethanol by volume.

The EPA said it has up to 270 days, to December 1, to act on the request. The agency said the comment period extension will not change the December 1 deadline.

(Reporting by Tom Doggett; Editing by Walter Bagley)