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Biodiesel manager says EPA’s waivers “ironic”
An Iowa biodiesel business manager has testified at a House subcommittee hearing that his business is contributing to the clean energy economy, saying strong consistent federal policy is needed, “It’s ironic that the EPA has such concern for the economic hardships facing small (oil) refineries,” said Thomas Brooks this morning, “The exemptions the agency is granting to each refiner that asks are simply shifting the hardship to even smaller bio-producers, small businesses like mine.”
Brooks manages Western Dubuque Biodiesel in Farley, Iowa which employs 24 workers and 28 contract truck drivers.
Brooks told the House Small Business subcommittee on Rural Development, Agriculture, Trade, and Entrepreneurship that successful policies like the biodiesel tax incentive and the RFS have gotten them where they are, with a combined payroll of $3.7 Million dollars a year.
The subcommittee is chaired by Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer of Iowa.
Don’t kid yourself, EPA uses the Small Refinery Waivers to Scam the Renewable Fuels System, to limit Biofuel participation in fuel markets. I believe EPA’s non-reallocated waivers are a vailed attempt to keep Ethanol blending at less than 10% of the gasoline market. The non-reallocated refinery waivers also have the same limiting effect on Biodiesel fuel markets.
This is why the Small Refinery Waivers are all done in “Secret” at the EPA, and Waived Biofuel Blending Obligations are never Reallocated back to the much larger Billion Dollar Refining Industry, as required in the Renewable Fuel Standard.
It’s not about “Protecting Small Refiners”, It’s all an EPA / Big Oil Scam to feather the Oil Industry at the expense of Farmers, the Biofuel Industry and the American Public.
Per the Clean Air Act, EPA is supposed to be limiting Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Gasoline, “To the Greatest Extent Possible,” rather than expanding their use by limiting ethanol’s role in the fuel market with their non-reallocated Refinery Waivers.
I couldn’t agree more with the author, why is EPA so overly concerned with “Small Refiners Profitability,” when Ethanol and Biodiesel Plants are closing right and left in the Midwest.
It’s really not about “Small Refiners Profitability,” if it was, the waivered blending obligations would be reassigned back to the much larger Billion Dollar Refining Industry. They’re not, EPA Refuses to do that, because it’s really all about Limiting Biofuel Participation in the Fuel Market.
EPA has Totally Corrupted the Renewable Fuel Standard, to benefit the oil industry.
And where is Congressional Oversight of the EPA? They seem to have their eyes closed.
It’s way past time to end EPA’s – 20 Year War on Ethanol and other Biofuels.