The EPA hosted its annual hearing on next year’s biofuel targets under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), reports CStore Decisions.
Several farm and biofuel industry leaders submitted testimony on the hearing.
John Linder, Ohio farmer and board member of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA)
“The proposed rule we are discussing today allows retroactive refinery exemptions to continue to destroy demand for renewable fuels. In addition, the proposal ignores the D.C. Circuit Court’s decision that EPA improperly waived 500 million gallons in 2016. … These volumes are meaningless amid EPA’s massive expansion of retroactive refinery waivers. Farmers have no confidence EPA will ensure these volumes are met – which the law requires – because EPA fails to account for projected waivers in this proposal.”
Judd Templin, Communications Director of the Ohio Ethanol Producers Association
“Alarmingly, this year U.S. ethanol consumption fell for the first time in 20 years. To date, SREs have cut 2.6 billion gallons of renewable fuel blending and nearly 1 billion bushels of corn demand. That demand destruction is causing severe financial strain on Ohio ethanol producers and farm families – who already face difficult times due to trade wars overseas and catastrophic weather events here at home. Ethanol producers across the Midwest are being forced to slash production, idle, or shut down.”
Read the full report here.
