In boon for farmers, Trump lifting restrictions on ethanol

WASHINGTON (AP) - 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.

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."