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Calls for EPA to reject “gap year” small refinery exemptions intensify

Pressure is mounting on the EPA to decide whether to grant more than 50 so-called “gap year” small refinery exemptions.

Last week a group of bipartisan U.S. Senators wrote to Administrator Wheeler urging him to deny the petitions.

On Monday, Chris Bliley with Growth Energy says the Governors’ Biofuels Coalition did the same.

“From state capitols to the U.S. Senate, the rural champions are really putting their foot down. Because there’s really no excuse to hold back growth in our rural economy and in agriculture by granting these absurd requests.”

He tells Brownfield EPA must be feeling the heat.

“We saw Senator Ernst, and Senator Grassley even today, support the decision to hold back on the nomination of one of the new EPA positions (because of) this issue.”

Iowa’s two U.S. Senators are holding up the nomination of Doug Benevento to be deputy administrator of EPA.

Bliley says it remains unclear when EPA might announce its decision on the gap year filings.