Ohio Farmers Union

Serving Family Farmers and Consumers Since 1934



United to Grow Family Agriculture Since 1934

  • About
    • The Farmers Union Triangle
    • Vision
    • OFU Leadership
  • Issues
    • 2020 Virtual Lobby Days
    • OFU Policy & NFU Policy
    • 2019 Lobby Day Registration
    • Get Involved!
    • NFU Climate Leaders
  • Education
    • 2019 OFU Essay Contest
    • Ohio Farmers Union Scholarships
    • Farm Safety
    • Renewable Energy Curriculum
  • Insurance
    • Hastings Mutual Insurance Co.
    • Health & Other Offerings
    • Ohio BWC Group Coverage
  • Join Us
    • Online Sign-Up
    • Member Benefits
    • Insurance
  • Blog
  • Events

NFU, Others Unhappy with SCOTUS Ruling on RFS Waivers for Some Refiners

June 29, 2021 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

A coalition of renewable fuel and farm groups expressed “extreme disappointment” in a U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning a 2020 appellate court ruling that struck down three improper small refinery exemptions granted by previous EPA administrators. However, because certain elements of the appellate court ruling were left unchallenged and were not reviewed by the Supreme Court, the groups remain optimistic that the Biden administration will discontinue the past administration’s flagrant abuse of the refinery exemption program.

The decision stems from a May 2018 challenge brought against EPA in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit by the Renewable Fuels Association, the National Corn Growers Association, National Farmers Union, and the American Coalition for Ethanol, working together as the Biofuels Coalition. The petitioners argued that the small refinery exemptions were granted in direct contradiction to the statutory text and purpose of the RFS.

In January 2020, the Tenth Circuit decided that EPA cannot “extend” exemptions to any small refineries whose earlier, temporary exemptions had lapsed. According to the Circuit Court ruling, “the statute limits exemptions to situations involving ‘extensions,’ with the goal of forcing the market to accept escalating amounts of renewable fuels over time.” While the Supreme Court failed to affirm this portion of the Tenth Circuit decision, the Biofuels Coalition pointed out that the appellate court also ruled that EPA’s exemption decisions must reconcile the agency’s consistent findings that all refineries recover the costs of compliance with the RFS, and that EPA may only use hardship caused by the RFS to justify granting exemptions. Despite today’s Supreme Court decision, EPA must still resolve those other aspects of the Tenth Circuit ruling.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog, Home-Feature Tagged With: Renewable Fuel Standard, RFS, Waivers

NFU still fighting for original Renewable Fuel Stand targets

September 2, 2014 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

from the National Farmers Union

National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson urged the Administration to act quickly on finalizing the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) rule and reiterated the importance of the RFS goals to family farmers and the rural economies they support.

“Biofuels are a critical component of this nation’s energy portfolio, decreasing our dependence on foreign oil imports while also giving a shot in the arm to family farms and the larger rural economies they support,” said Johnson.

The RFS is our nation’s main policy driver for renewable fuels, and since its creation by Congress has created $184.5 billion in economic impact while supporting 852,056 jobs nationwide.  The biofuels industries – and the farmers who grow the grains they use – are poised for continued growth but need a clear signal that the targets will remain firm.

“The RFS has created a win-win-win scenario for the environment, farmers, jobs and consumers, and deserves the full support of the Administration,” he said.

Johnson said that the mixed messages coming from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the Administration’s support for the RFS targets, combined with the lengthy delays in finalizing the rule, have been a set-back to the biofuels industry and farmers who grow the grains they need.  “These lengthy delays and the mixed messages from EPA have very seriously damaged all advanced biofuels, including the cellulosic ethanol biofuel industry,” said Johnson.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Renewable Fuel Standard, RFS

Comments from Public Needed on EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard Proposal

January 21, 2014 By Ron Sylvester Leave a Comment

Proposed reduction in renewable fuel blended into gasoline will hurt farmers

The National Farmers Union and Fuels America are working to ensure farmers and those concerned with cleaner burning U.S. produced fuel get their say in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s public comment period on the proposed rule for 2014 which would reduce the amount of renewable fuel blended into our nation’s gasoline supply.

Here’s what the two groups suggest you can do to help show the Obama Administration that there are interests out there other than Big Oil:

Write and submit comments to EPA on the following link:

http://www.fuelsamerica.org/page/s/take-a-stand-for-lower-gas-prices

NFU is a member of Fuels America, a coalition committed to protecting the RFS. By submitting comments through the Fuels America website, the coalition will be able to amplify your messages through social media channels. It is also helpful so that we know who has submitted comments.

The official notice in the Federal Register can be found here:

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-11-29/pdf/2013-28155.pdf

Here are some talking points you may want to use in your comments:

The Proposed Lower 2014 RFS Targets:

  • Hurt rural economies
  • USDA is expecting a record corn crop (slightly above 14 billion bushels)
  • EPA’s proposal would reduce demand for corn and hurt farm income/the rural economy
  • Devastates the advanced biofuels industry
  • Investors are spooked by this reversal in policy and will likely take their investment dollars elsewhere. This will hurt the advanced biofuels sector
  • Embraces fictitious “blend wall”
  • The oil industry claims that it cannot blend more ethanol into the nation’s fuel supply. The reason isn’t that they can’t, it’s that they won’t
  • Contradicts President Obama’s climate initiative
  • The proposal goes against Obama’s climate initiative. According to a recent study by Argonne National Laboratory, corn ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions by more than 30 percent compared with conventional gasoline

For more information, contact Jan Ahlen at jahlen@nfudc.org.

 

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Big Oil, Fuels America, National Farmers Union, Renewable Fuel Standard, RFS, U.S. EPA

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • YouTube

Latest News from the Ohio & National Farmers Union

2022 OFU Special Orders

Annual Policy Priorities For the eighty-eighth year, the Ohio Farmers Union has established the organization's public policy priorities at the … Read More

Ohio County Fair Schedule 2022

It's looking great for the first full, uninterrupted Ohio fair season since the beginning of the pandemic. Of special note, the Ohio State Fair will … Read More

Rural Broadband Gets Win in Ohio Budget

State Senators Matt Huffman, R-Lima, and Matt Dolan, R-Chagrin Falls, tried to kill $90 million for rural broadband expansion, yet the Ohio … Read More

State Legislators Listen – Rural Broadband Back in Ohio Two-Year Budget

In a pleasant surprise for rural Ohio, the biennial budget was agreed to Monday with Gov. Mike DeWine's full $250 million funding request for rural … Read More

Check Out the Entire Blog

NATIONAL FARMERS UNION

Click to Take Action



Contact

Ohio Farmers Union
P.O. Box 363
1011 N. Defiance Street
Ottawa, Ohio 45875
Phone: (419) 523-5300
Toll Free: (800) 321-3671

Copyright Ohio Farmers Union© 2023 | Site by: RCS Communications