WASHINGTON DC (October 15, 2019) — Representative Dave Loebsack released the following statement today after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a new supplemental proposed rule to account for gallons waived through Small Refinery Exemptions (SREs) in the nation’s biofuel mandate.
“It is outrageous that not even two weeks after the President and the EPA announced a ‘deal’ to offset the excessive number of SREs they granted to big, profitable oil companies, they fall back on their word. This proposed rule provides no assurance that the estimates used to offset the SREs would meet the actual volume of gallons exempted, leaving farmers and biofuel producers with no guarantee that the billions of gallons of biofuels exempted from the mandate would ever be restored, as has long been promised by the Trump Administration and EPA.
“The Administration’s abuse of the SRE program has already destroyed billions of gallons of biofuel demand and led to the closure or idling of nearly 30 ethanol and biodiesel plants. This proposed rule is another in a long string of broken promises for our farmers and biofuel producers. I will continue to fight back against proposals that fall short of what was promised, and work to uphold the integrity of the RFS. It is past time our farmers and biofuel producers have the certainty they need to help provide our nation with clean, renewable fuel.”
BACKGROUND
Rep Dave Loebsack has been a longtime supporter of the RFS, ethanol and the biofuels industry. He has been leading the way in the House to increase oversight and transparency of the Small Refinery Exemption that the Administration has used to undermine the RFS, hurting our farmers and rural communities, while propping up Big Oil. As co-chair of the House Biofuels Caucus, Rep Loebsack helped lead the opposition of the excessive use of the SRE, including this August when the President and EPA granted 31 new waivers. As a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep Loebsack has continually pushed the EPA to be more transparent and called for the suspension of the program until changes were made.
