A new rule, issued by the EPA in April, provided assurance that facilities producing ethanol for human consumption, industrial use or as a fuel are treated equally under the Clean Air Act.

Historically, facilities had differing emission limits depending on the end product use. The final rule established the same emission threshold for new facilities making ethanol from corn or sugar beets regardless of the end product usage.

Also, facilities producing ethanol for fuel or industrial purposes are no longer required to count emissions of criteria pollutants that do not come from process stacks or vents when determining if they meet or exceed emissions thresholds for their Clean Air Act operating permits, non-attainment NSR or PSD programs.