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EPA official apologizes for RFS delays

In his recent speech at the National Ethanol Conference in Grapevine, Texas, the director of EPA’s office of transportation and air quality, Chris Grundler, apologized for delays in the Renewable Fuels Standard process.

“I wanted to come to Texas and personally tell you all how sorry I am that we did not get our work done,” Grundler said. “We did not finalize a standard in 2014 that I promised we would when I appeared before all of you in Orlando.

“I know words are cheap, but in this case, they are sincere.”

Grundler was referring to his speech at last year’s ethanol conference in Orlando, Florida when he said the volume requirements in the RFS would be finalized by the end of spring 2014.

Grundler told the this year’s gathering that implementing the RFS has been very challenging for the EPA.

“Doing annual rules, proposing and finalizing rules in 12 months—with public comment—is a tall order,” he said. “And it becomes an even taller order when the policy has become fraught, as it is today, with so many different points of view.”

But Grundler pledged to get the RFS back on track with a three year standard for 2014, 2015 and 2016 that they hope to have done by the end of this spring.

Photo courtesy of Zimmcomm New Media