* Growth says expects all EPA decisions by December
* EPA met with Growth Energy and said testing is on track
(Adds details, quotes)
WASHINGTON, Sept 17 (Reuters) - The ethanol industry group that petitioned the U.S. government to allow regular gasoline to be blended with higher levels of ethanol said it expects federal environmental regulators to approve the request.
Growth Energy petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency last year for a waiver to allow regular gasoline to be blended with ethanol levels of 15 percent, a fuel that would be known as E15.
A spokeswoman for Growth Energy, a coalition of ethanol producers, said it expects the EPA will grant the waivers and that E15 "should be available in March or April," of next year.
"We are confident that the (Department of Energy) testing will confirm what we've known all along, that E15 can run in our vehicles without any impact on drivability or durability," the spokeswoman said.
Lisa Jackson, the chief of the Environmental Protection Agency, told Growth this week that the first phase of testing of E15 on cars is on schedule and should be completed by the end of September. Jackson said the EPA should decide on whether to allow E15 in 2007 and newer cars shortly after the testing is completed.
Testing on vehicles built between 2001 and 2006 is on track to be completed by the end of November, Jackson said. "At which point we expect to make a decision on a waiver that would cover 2001 to 2006 model year vehicles,"
The EPA could not be immediately reached on Friday. (Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
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