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.
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.
