WASHINGTON - January 16 - The decision by a federal appeals court not to block the sale of gasoline containing 15 percent corn ethanol (known as E15) is a setback for consumers and the environment, says Environmental Working Group vice president for government affairs Scott Faber.

The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday rejected a request that it reconsider an earlier decision that allowed the Environmental Protection Agency to go forward with regulations that permit the sale of the higher corn ethanol blend. Several food, oil, livestock and engine trade groups filed suit to challenge the EPA decision.

EWG’s Faber said in a statement:

“The court’s decision doesn’t change the simple fact that consumers will not buy a fuel that harms their engines, voids their warranties and jeopardizes their safety. And after a drought-ridden year that saw corn prices reach record highs, diverting even more of our crop to ethanol makes no sense whatsoever.

“Widespread use of E15 equates to higher grocery bills for struggling families, higher repair costs for motorists, higher spending for taxpayers and higher unemployment for livestock producers and farmers. That’s not the kind of energy future Americans can get behind. Instead, we need a commonsense approach to biofuels policy that loosens the corn ethanol industry’s stranglehold on the market and allows cleaner, more sustainable fuels to compete.”