The darker side of ethanol

Most environmentalists agree that ethanol, when blended in gasoline, can reduce some pollution compared with gasoline alone. But ethanol increases other types of pollution during production and when it’s burned in engines, said Tim Maloney, senior policy director for the Hoosier Environmental Council, an advocacy group.

The distillation of corn, for example, produces nitrogen oxides that are known health hazards and contribute to ground-level smog, Maloney said.
“The questions about the value of ethanol from an environmental standpoint are growing,” Maloney said.
People with lung disease, children, older adults and people who are active can be affected when ozone levels are unhealthy, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Exposure to ground-level ozone can cause breathing problems and respiratory diseases.
But so far, the arguments for energy independence seem to be trumping the concerns voiced by environmentalists like Maloney.
The EPA this summer eased its rules on emissions from ethanol plants, citing the need to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
Before July 2, U.S. refineries that produced ethanol for alcohol consumption could release up to 250 tons of pollutants a year, but refineries distilling for fuel could release only 100 tons of pollution a year. A new rule puts both types of refineries under the same pollution limit: 250 tons.

Indy Star