Corn farmers have until November 29 to tell the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to follow through on the President’s commitment to farmers and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).
Since early 2018, EPA has granted 85 RFS exemptions to refineries, totaling 4.04 billion ethanol-equivalent gallons of renewable fuel. These waivers reduce demand for ethanol, lower the value of our crop and undermine the President’s support for America’s farmers. Waivers benefit big oil at the expense of corn farmers.
Despite an agreement announced by President Trump in early October that directed the EPA to follow the letter of the law and keep the RFS whole, the EPA proposal now available for comment falls well short of the 15 billion gallon RFS.
EPA is proposing to use a three-year average of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) recommended waivers, rather than the three-year average actually waived by the EPA as promised in the October 4 agreement. EPA has consistently waived nearly double the gallons the DOE recommended.
This is another example of the EPA trying to undercut the President’s commitment to farmers and the ethanol industry – the EPA needs to hear from you! Farmers were told there would be a 15 billion gallon RFS, the EPA needs to ensure that 15 billion gallons actually means 15 billion gallons.
