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Voices need to be heard now on RFS

The executive director of Michigan Corn says the Renewable Fuel Standard is working.

“The law was intended to get our dependence off of foreign oil, we have actually reduced that.”

Jim Zook with Michigan Corn tells Brownfield Michigan ethanol plants produce about 300 million gallons, but the state consumes an additional 150 million gallons of ethanol.

He says in the next ten years, corn yields are expected to increase by an additional 2 billion bushels.

“That extra two billion bushels of corn equates to about another six billion gallons of ethanol that can be produced just with our technology increases that we have seen steadily since the ‘30s.”  He says ethanol production has also helped to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Zook tells Brownfield now that farmers may be working at the cost of production this year, it’s more important than ever to support the RFS.   “It is up to every producer to actually make those comments and send those off to EPA.”

He says farmers have until July 27 to submit comments.

AUDIO: Interview with Jim Zook (3:52 mp3):