The following is a statement from North Dakota farmer Kevin Skunes, president of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), on the RFS waivers reportedly granted to a large refiner by the EPA.
“EPA’s reported actions are unacceptable,” Skunes said. “EPA cannot undermine the RFS by granting waivers to refiners who are making profits as large as the one reported by Reuters. Granting these waivers significantly reduces the number of gallons of fuel blended with ethanol hurting rural economies and the nation’s corn farmers. When refiners aren’t meeting their blending obligations, corn farmers pay the price.
“EPA’s small refiner exemption process has no transparency,” Skunes said. “We need the EPA to live up to Administrator Pruitt’s October commitment to senators to, ‘act consistent with the text and spirit of the RFS,’ and to do so in an ‘open and transparent manner that advances the full potential of this program.’ We call on the EPA to stop granting these waivers to refiners who make billions of dollars and do not face a true hardship.”
COVID-19 Resources
NCGA is taking a series of actions to do our part to help contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the economic fallout it is creating for corn farmers and our customers. Short term, this means instituting policies to protect the health and safety of our stakeholders and the broader communities we serve. Long term, we’re focused on creating solutions to help corn farmers and our customers recover from the financial impacts of this crisis.
CommonGround
CommonGround is a group of farmers connecting with consumers through conversations about science and research and personal stories about food and misinformation surrounding farming. Supported by the NCGA and state corn organizations.
SHP
The Soil Health Partnership (SHP) is a farmer-led initiative that fosters transformation in agriculture through improved soil health. Administered by NCGA the partnership has more than 220 working farms enrolled in 16 states. SHP’s mission is to utilize science and data to partner with farmers who are adopting conservation agricultural practices that improve the economic and environmental sustainability of the farm.
