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Herseth fuels drive for E-85
Congressional rep says state a leader in renewable fuels
By Emily Arthur, American News Writer
May 31, 2006

Lars Herseth walked in a couple of minutes late for his daughter's appearance Tuesday morning at the Airport Travel Cafe in Aberdeen, but he had an excuse.

He was too busy filling his flex-fuel vehicle full of E-85.

"I heard my daughter was buying," he joked to the approximately 30 people who came to visit with Rep. Stephanie Herseth, D-SD.

"I guess I'm going to have to get my wallet out and pay for my dad's gas - or E-85, I should say," Stephanie Herseth said on her way out to fill up her own vehicle with a splash blend of E-85 and super unleaded fuel, taken from separate pumps.

Rep. Herseth stopped at the Airport Travel Center, 4704 E. U.S. Highway 12, on Tuesday to raise awareness of ethanol and other renewable fuels. The gas station is one of 45 E-85 stations across the state. Herseth also visited at Ken's Shell Express in Groton in the afternoon.

"South Dakota isn't just the leader in production of renewable fuels, but also in availability," she said. "I was just in Michigan, where there's only six E-85 pumps throughout the state."

Herseth recently met with automobile manufacturers in Detroit to talk about producing more flex-fuel vehicles.

"There's no reason the auto dealers can't be partners with us," she said.

In addition, Herseth has also introduced legislation that would double the incentives for gas station owners who are willing to carry E-85, including Ron Erickson of the Airport Travel Cafe.

Erickson said the station has carried E-85 since July 2005. He's also filled his own 1995 Chevy pickup with a splash blend - half E-85 and half regular - over the same time period and has had no problems.

"Business with the E-85 just keeps getting better and better," Erickson said. "More people are using it in their flex-fuel vehicles, but I've also been promoting the splash blend in regular vehicles. ... Ethanol is an American-made product made right here in the Midwest. We need to be promoting it."

Herseth said that's the key to getting everyone on board. If she and others can raise awareness and encourage South Dakotans to use renewable fuels in their vehicles, her colleagues in other states might start doing the same.

"We know we're at the forefront. We've been the leaders," Herseth said.

Paid for by Herseth for Congress