NEW YORK, March 25 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Wednesday waived rules for the sale of ethanol fuel in the summer to ease high oil price pressures on U.S. consumers.
The EPA issued a temporary emergency fuel waiver to allow nationwide sales of E15, gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol, and to remove all federal impediments to selling E10, gasoline blended with 10 percent ethanol.
The waiver will take effect on May 1 and will initially remain in place through May 20, according to a release by the EPA.
"This emergency action will provide American families with relief by increasing fuel supply and consumer choice," said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.
The sale of ethanol fuel generally is not allowed from May 1 to Sept. 15, as ethanol fuel does not meet gasoline volatility requirements.
The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran led to a spike in international oil prices in March, burdening U.S. consumers.
U.S. national average retail prices of regular gasoline reached 3.983 U.S. dollars per gallon on Wednesday, surging over 33 percent from a month ago, according to data issued by the American Automobile Association. ■