National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) President John Linder today made the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted oil refineries two Small Refinery Exemptions (SREs), or waivers, for 2019 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) blending and one SRE for 2018.
“It shouldn’t be a surprise to those who have been paying attention for the last four years that this EPA would undermine corn farmers and the ethanol market on its way out the door. There is no reason for the EPA to take this action now, especially with the Supreme Court set to consider the Tenth Circuit ruling in the new term. Corn farmers need an EPA that will follow the law as written and intended by Congress. NCGA looks forward to working with the Biden Administration to rectify the harm caused by this EPA’s abuse of small refinery exemptions and restore the integrity of the Renewable Fuel Standard.”
Today’s waivers roughly account for 260 million ethanol equivalent gallons. NCGA last week, along with bipartisan lawmakers in both the House and Senate, urged the Trump Administration against taking this action.
“Farm families and biofuel workers across the country have worked tirelessly to make a living over the past few months despite a global pandemic,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “And yet, the Trump Administration’s SRE abuse has piled on to the uncertainty and difficulty that rural Americans are facing every day. Given President-elect Biden’s commitments on the campaign trail, we‘re confident his incoming team will swiftly work to reverse the damage these oil handouts have done to rural America by this midnight maneuvering.”
EPA’s action brings the total of SREs granted by the Trump Administration to 88, totaling 4.3 billion gallons of biofuel blending demand destroyed.
Sources: National Corn Growers Association and Growth Energy