U-S Ag Secretary Ann Veneman says the Bush Administration will not announce this week whether California will get a waiver from Clean Air Act rules that force motorists there to use fuel additives like ethanol. California wants the waiver because the other prominent fuel additive, M-T-B-E, has been banned. She says the California waiver is still under consideration and the administration is very aware of the interest in the Midwest surrounding the waiver.Veneman is from California, and says more states are moving to ban M-T-B-E over water quality concerns.During a news conference in Des Moines, Veneman was asked just when the Bush Administration will make its decision on California’s wavier request. She says it probably won’t be until the end of the month.Veneman says Bush will focus during his Iowa visit on Thursday on his general energy proposals, which do, in part, stress the use of alternative energy sources, like biomass.This morning, Governor Vilsack said he hoped Bush used his appearance in Iowa to render a verdict on California’s request. Veneman visited the Sunrise Energy Cooperative in Blairstown this afternoon.
