Mr.  Whitney (“Ethanol not the way to go”, March 6) has been misinformed about ethanol.  It is true it cannot be transported by pipeline but not because it is corrosive.  Ethanol is far from corrosive except, perhaps, to one’s liver.  The reason it cannot be transported by pipeline is that it will mix, in all proportions, with water.  Because moisture can be introduced into the pipeline in many ways, the ethanol would be diluted when it arrived at its destination requiring expensive distillation to concentrate it again.  Some scientists are looking at the production of more complex alcohols that do not mix with water so they may be easily separated at the destination.

 Don Hirsch
West Boothbay Harbor