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In Boon For Farmers, Trump Lifting Restrictions On Ethanol

WASHINGTON (AP/WCCO) -- Farm states are looking to benefit from a Trump administration plan to allow year-round sales of gasoline with a higher blend of ethanol.

President Donald Trump is expected to announce he's lifting a federal ban on summer sales of high-ethanol blends while in Iowa for a rally Tuesday night in Council Bluffs.

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar applauded the White House's decision Tuesday.

"Allowing for the year-round sale of E15 is a decision that is long overdue and will not only provide relief to our farmers, but also save families money at the gas pump," Klobuchar said. "This announcement will strengthen our homegrown energy economy, help our country utilize more homegrown biofuels, and decrease our dependence on foreign energy."

The Environmental Protection Agency currently bans the high-ethanol blend, called E15, during the summer because of concerns that it contributes to smog on hot days. Advocates for the ethanol industry say that claim is unfounded.

The oil industry opposes year-round sales of E15, warning that high-ethanol gasoline can damage car engines and fuel systems.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers, many from oil-producing states, oppose expanded sales of high-ethanol gas, calling the approach "misguided."

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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