The administrator for Region 7 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency told participants at the 2007 Fuel Ethanol Workshop in St. Louis this week that the partnership between EPA and agriculture is helping to find solutions to environmental challenges.

“We’ve had a major role in dealing with one of America’s top priorities – reducing dependency on foreign oil,” said John Askew, whose region includes Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. “We’re addressing our nation’s growing energy demand in a way that supports farmers, rural America, our goal for a clean environment and greater energy security.”

Askew also talked about the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). “Under this program the annual amount of renewable fuel use will increase every year, so by the year 2012 over 7 and a half billion gallons of fuel being pumped in gas tanks across this country will be made from home grown crops and renewable resources,” he said. “But you’ve gone way beyond that and we expect you to keep working hard on that aspect.”

Askew concluded his remarks by presenting EPA’s Energy Star awards to Macon Municipal Utilities in Macon, Missouri and Adkins Energy, LLC in Lena, Illinois.

Listen to Askew’s remarks here: [audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/rfa/few-07-epa.mp3]

Thanks to the Renewable Fuels Association for sponsoring coverage on Domestic Fuel of the 2007 Fuel Ethanol Workshop.