Comments filed by the National Biodiesel Board on the proposed Renewable Fuel Standards for 2019 and Biomass-Based Diesel Volume for 2020 urge EPA to increase the volumes in both categories and to fully account for small refinery exemptions.

In a letter accompanying the comments, Kurt Kovarik, vice president of federal affairs for NBB, writes, “The biomass-based diesel industry has proven year after year that it can deliver increasing volumes. We appreciate the agency’s recognition of that fact and welcome the signal of growth in the proposed rule. NBB asks that you fully support the industry’s growth by setting the biomass-based diesel volume for 2020 at 2.8 billion gallons and increasing the 2019 advanced biofuel volume to allow growth.”

NBB’s comments demonstrate that the increased biomass-based diesel volume is achievable with available feedstocks. “Most importantly, once EPA has set the annual volumes, it must ensure they are met,” Kovarik continued. “The volumes EPA ultimately finalizes will be meaningless if the agency continues to retroactively reduce them through small refinery exemptions.”