Nearly 20 members of Congress are sounding the alarm about how small refinery waivers causing less ethanol to be blended into gasoline disproportionately impacts communities of color.
Reps. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Danny Davis (D-IL) and 17 of their colleagues sent a letter this week to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expressing concern over how the widespread issuance of waivers under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has contributed to higher levels of transportation emissions. The letter noted that a recent study found “non-white communities are between 1.2 and 1.5 times more likely to be exposed to higher levels of fine particle pollution than white communities.”
“With the technology for cleaner, safer, and more economical fuels available, there is simply no reason not to continue our progress and commitment to renewable fuels,” said Rep. Gallego. “The Trump administration’s decision to abandon RFS goals has already set back our progress by 5 years. We are urging the EPA to reverse this harmful decision.”
“Families all across the nation are breathing cleaner air and saving money at the pump thanks to homegrown biofuels,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “We are grateful to our congressional leaders for their efforts to preserve the integrity of the RFS and safeguard the health and well-being of American families.”