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Michigan corn growers support bills to increase ethanol content in gasoline

A harvester works through a field of corn near Santa Rosa, Calif. This corn has been genetically modified, and contains bacterial genes that kill certain insects, but the genes have become less effective.
Rich Pedroncelli
/
AP
A harvester works through a field of corn near Santa Rosa, Calif. This corn has been genetically modified, and contains bacterial genes that kill certain insects, but the genes have become less effective.

A push to increase ethanol content in gasoline is getting support from Michigan corn growers.

Congressional legislation would raise the percentage of ethanol in gas to 15 percent year round.

That would be welcome news to Saginaw County farmer Don Morse.

Morse says changing the law now, will help him plan for next year’s crop, amid escalating costs for fuel and fertilizer.

“For next year, this legislation can know there is a place for the corn to go, it will be necessary.”

Critics say expanding the use of E-15 will drive the production of more corn which causes more plowing and leads to waterways being polluted by agricultural runoff.