WASHINGTON — Several months after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth determined that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had improperly issued small refinery exemptions (SREs) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), the agency revealed that it has 98 pending requests for exemptions, including 67 “gap year” requests that would be retroactively applied to previous years’ RFS requirements.
National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew released the following statement in response to the news:
“Over the past four years, EPA’s mishandling of the RFS and preferential treatment of the oil industry has inflicted tremendous harm on the American biofuels industry and family farmers. We had hoped the blatant abuse of small refinery exemptions by oil corporations would end with the Tenth Circuit’s ruling in January, but it is clear that they will stop at nothing to avoid complying with the RFS. These so called “gap year” requests are just a thinly veiled ploy to sidestep the Court’s decision and make an extra buck.
“Under any circumstances, this behavior would be objectionable. But as farmers and rural communities suffer significant financial hardship due to the pandemic, it is absolutely unconscionable. Now more than ever, we need President Trump to keep his promise to uphold the RFS and support homegrown biofuels. He and his EPA must immediately reject these requests.”
–National Farmers Union
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