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Biofuels groups send letter asking EPA to reevaluate priorities

Several Midwestern biofuels associations are asking the EPA to stop bailing out oil refiners and start supporting cellulosic ethanol.

Monte Shaw with the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association says a letter directed towards EPA administrator Scott Pruitt highlights the disproportionate focus the agency has on approving small refinery exemptions.

“There’s supposed to be economic hardship exemptions for small refiners, and (EPA) is granting them to some of the world’s largest refiners like Exxon Mobile.  I mean it’s just a joke.”

He tells Brownfield the EPA has approved dozens of exemptions in recent months, while at the same time doing nothing to create pathways for cellulosic ethanol.

“And we’ve got dozens of those sitting there waiting to be approved (but) the (EPA) is like ‘well, we have some questions about the data or blah blah blah.’  Well they sure didn’t seem to have questions about how Exxon Mobile, which is making record profits this last quarter, is qualified for an economic hardship.”

Shaw says the letter encourages the EPA to consider reallocating some staff resources away from refinery exemptions and toward any pathway approval process for cellulosic ethanol.

The letter was signed by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, Renewable Fuels Nebraska, Wisconsin Biofuels Association, South Dakota Ethanol Producers Association, and Illinois Renewable Fuels Association.