U.S. EPA released the 2017 proposed renewable fuel volumes under the Renewable Fuel Standard and according to the National Farmers Union, they continue to fall short of congressionally mandated levels.
NFU President Roger Johnson said, “I’m deeply disappointed to see the EPA undermine the RFS once again by falling significantly short of the statute with their proposed volume obligations. This simply does not track with other admirable, important advances on climate this Administration has made.”
“The oil companies have had plenty of time to build out the distribution infrastructure to deliver more biofuels to the consumer and commercial markets that seek this environmentally-friendly energy source. They have simply refused to do so, and EPA’s negligence in adhering to the statutory levels has significantly undermined the plan laid out by Congress in 2007,” Johnson said.
“Unfortunately, this action comes at a time when economic distress is increasing in farm country and this half-hearted proposal from EPA will add to that distress. It is time that the Administration stop placing the agenda of Big Oil above our own climate objectives,” he added.
According to the EPA, next year’s proposal is still an increase of 700 million gallons from 2016. This year’s volumes were also below what Congress intended in 2007.
In a press release, EPA said, “EPA is proposing to use the tools provided by Congress to adjust the standards below the statutory targets, but the steadily increasing volumes in the proposal continue to support Congress’s intent to grow the volumes of these important fuels that are part of the nation’s overall strategy to enhance energy security and address climate change.”
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