South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz sent a letter to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler this week asking that he reject 52 applications for retroactive small refinery exemptions (SREs) from the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for past compliance years. Governor Noem and Governor Walz are the chair and vice chair of the Governors’ Biofuels Coalition. Iowa Governor …
Senators Urge EPA to Reject Retroactive Waivers
A bipartisan group of 16 senators sent a letter this week urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reject any petitions for Small Refinery Exemptions (SREs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for past compliance years. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and a dozen others said in the letter to EPA Administrator …
Biodiesel Board Urges EPA to Reject Gap Waivers
The National Biodiesel Board is urging EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler to immediately reject the flood of 52 small refinery exemption petitions for previous years going back to 2011. Kurt Kovarik, NBB’s VP of Federal Affairs, states, “EPA’s consideration of small refinery exemption petitions going back to 2011 flies in the face of the recent 10th Circuit decision. By rolling back …
EPA Dashboard Confirms 52 “Gap Year” Waiver Requests
The newly updated EPA Small Refinery Exemptions dashboard has revealed that 52 new petitions have been received from small refineries seeking retroactive exemptions from their Renewable Fuel Standard requirements in prior years dating back to 2011. According to the Renewable Fuels Association, refiners are filing these “gap year” waiver petitions as a way around the recent Tenth Circuit Court decision …
Bill Would Push Biofuels Innovation
Sen. John Thune (R-SD) has introduced legislation, together with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), to approve some advanced biofuel pathways under the Renewable Fuel Standard, which have been delayed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Under the legislation, EPA would also be required to render a decision within 90 days on any registration application that has been pending for at least …
Members of Congress Defend RFS
A bipartisan list of Congressional representatives sent a letter to President Trump today in support of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). “We urge you to stand with our farmers and rural economies during this challenging time and deny any request for blanket statewide or nationwide waivers from the 2020 RFS blending requirements under the Clean Air Act,” the letter from …
Biodiesel Board Wants Transparency on “Gap” SRE Petitions
The National Biodiesel Board is asking EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler to disclose any small refinery exemption petitions for RFS compliance years preceding 2019 that the Environmental Protection Agency received this year. In a letter to Wheeler, NBB also requests that EPA apply the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit’s ruling in Renewable Fuels Association v. EPA to all …
Ethanol Interests Challenge EPA Study Results
The U.S. ethanol industry is questioning a Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “anti-backsliding” study released Friday on the air quality impacts of renewable fuels which also determined no further action is needed to mitigate any potential adverse impacts on air quality from the use of renewable fuels. The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) immediately raised concerns about EPA using a discredited modeling …
RFA Decries “Gap Year” Refinery Waiver Requests
The Renewable Fuels Association is urging the Environmental Protection Agency to deny the latest attempt by the petroleum industry to circumvent the 10th Circuit Court decision which severely limits small refinery exemptions under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) by seeking past-year waivers from renewable volume obligations. In a letter to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper …
Ethanol and Oil State Senators Compete for EPA Help
During a hearing last week before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler was pushed by senators on both sides of the Renewable Fuel Standard for a commitment to helping them. Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), who spearheaded a letter to Wheeler from oil state senators, expressed his dissatisfaction with the 10th circuit court decision regarding small …