Democratic members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Committee on Agriculture led by Reps. Dave Loebsack (D-IA) and Cheri Bustos (D-IL) are demanding that EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt provide additional information regarding his agency’s “failed implementation of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).”
A letter signed by a dozen Democrats presents a series of questions seeking information about “the mismanagement of a program that provided waivers to some of our nation’s largest, most profitable refiners, but were intended to help support small refiners with demonstrated economic hardship and were in danger of going bankrupt.”
The lawmakers also want information about the EPA’s retroactive awarding of Renewable Identification Numbers (RINS), which they have repeatedly requested and which the EPA has refused to answer.
“We appreciate the effort of these members to bring attention to EPA’s woeful disregard of the statute and its indiscriminate granting of hardship waivers,” said Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen. “The Agency’s lack of transparency in this process prompted RFA to file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, which has been met with complete silence. We have also filed suit in the 10th circuit challenging specific waivers and in the DC Circuit contesting EPA’s failure to reallocate gallons.”