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Industry reacts as EPA grants more refinery waivers

The National Corn Growers Association says the EPA has taken another step to chip away at the Renewable Fuels Standard and corn demand, “hurting America’s corn farmers.”

The EPA, under new administrator Andrew Wheeler, has granted five small refinery exemptions for 2017, retroactively, which Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor calls a slap in the face to rural communities. She says the waivers bring the total gallons of lost demand to 2.6 Billion in 2016 and ’17 when added to waivers granted under former EPA administrator Scott Pruitt.

Renewable Fuels Association President Geoff Cooper says, “It’s extremely disappointing and outrageous to see EPA once again allow oil refiners to undermine the RFS and hurt family farms, ethanol producers” and (the) environment by abusing the statutory provision.

According to NCGA ; The five refineries receiving today’s exemptions produced approximately 3.4 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel in 2017, resulting in 366 million Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) being exempted. The EPA has two remaining refinery exemption petitions for 2017. Refineries have also submitted 39 petitions for 2018 exemptions that EPA has yet to make decisions on.

NCGA is part of the legal actions against the EPA for their abuse of small refinery waivers and says it will continue to stand up for farmers and a strong RFS.