On June 20, Maine Governor Paul R. LePage issued an Executive Order in an effort to better understand the human health risks and effects of emissions produced by the combustion of ethanol-containing gasoline and the effect of increasing ethanol blends on emissions. The order follows federal mandates that have resulted in increased domestic production and use of ethanol in gasoline.
Under the order, the Office of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention will work with the Department of Environmental Protection to review scientific evidence associated with risks to human health of combusting gasoline containing ethanol. The Governor has asked for a report of the findings by January 1, 2017.
The order also directs all Maine state agencies to implement a purchasing preference for gasoline blended with five percent or less of ethanol, when that fuel is of a comparable cost to gasoline blended with a higher concentration of ethanol.
The Executive Order may be found on the Office of the Governor website.
