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Senator Ernst urges Trump to intervene, deny gap ethanol waivers
One of Iowa’s Senators asked President Trump about Small Refinery Exemptions during a disaster assistance meeting Tuesday. President Trump joined state and local leaders at the Cedar Rapids airport, where Joni Ernst urged him to intervene and stop the gap year applications. Ernst said, “Farmers would love to know that with these gap year waivers, that the oil refiners are submitting to the EPA, that we just dispense of those.”
Ernst told Trump many of the waivers are for eight or nine years ago, and both farmers and ethanol producers need certainty the Renewable Fuel Standard will be followed. “What we need, just help from the EPA to just follow the intent of the law with the Renewable Fuels Standard.” Trump replied, “I’ll speak to them myself.”
Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw tells Brownfield he’s glad Ernst brought up the waivers but, “She got him to commit to acting. Now it’s up to him. Does he call Andrew Wheeler and say deny these exemption requests or does he get stonewalled by his own administration? That’s what Iowans are watching, and I think the outcome of this will impact quite a few votes in rural America.”
Gap year waivers going back up to nine years have been reviewed by the Department of Energy and are back to the EPA for final review. Ethanol and corn producers want those waivers denied and the RFS law followed.
Does anyone think he listened or will do anything good for the IA farmer and ethanol. 🙁