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Perdue says ‘no plans’ to use CCC funds to help oil refiners

Recent reports that the Trump Administration is considering using USDA Commodity Credit Corporation funds to help small oil refiners that were denied biofuel blending waivers has drawn strong criticism from farmers, farm state lawmakers and others.

But during a farmer forum in central Illinois today, Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue said he has no plans to do that.

“We don’t think that qualifies under Charter 5 of the Commodity Credit Corporation Act, and we’ve informed them of that. So we’ll have to see what happens,” Perdue said.

Perdue says President Trump is trying to be fair to both sides on the issue of small refinery exemptions.

“He thinks that denying those waivers and complying with the RINs, and that, has hurt some of the small, independents (refiners). That may be the case, but if they need to get that, then they need to find another way to do that.”

Brownfield’s Rhiannon Branch contributed to this story.