The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) was one of the first in line to submit comments to the Environmental Protection Agency on regulatory reform.
Last month, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt established a Regulatory Reform Task Force to evaluate how existing regulations might be repealed or modified and the agency formerly began a 30 day public comment period April 11.
ACE provided the EPA with recommendations on a number of regulatory burdens which “unnecessarily limit the production and use of ethanol and stall job creation and economic growth in rural America,” including:
– Allow Reid vapor pressure (RVP) relief to E15 and higher ethanol blends.
– Update the lifecycle analysis of corn ethanol.
– Streamline the approval process for high-octane fuels such as E25-40 blends.
– Adjust CAFE compliance to allow incentives for flex fuel vehicles
During the recent ACE DC Fly-in, Iowa feedlot operator and ethanol plant investor Bill Couser visited with officials at EPA – something he does every year. “I’ve working with EPA the last ten years and I’ve never been more optimistic leaving the EPA building,” said Couser. “The staff person we met with was an Iowa person, it was like preaching to the choir.”
Couser also comments on the Trump administration roll back of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule in this interview: Interview with Bill Couser, Lincolnway Energy