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Minnesota Corn Growers to keep “hammering” EPA on RFS

The President of the Minnesota Corn Growers says he doesn’t know if the EPA will go back to the original Renewable Fuels Standard targets, but the Association will do what they can to support ethanol.  Bruce Peterson tells Brownfield Corn Grower member Jerry Demmer, who farms near Clarks Grove, testified at a hearing in Kansas City last Thursday concerning the RFS.

“Jerry was able to testify.  It sounded like the testimony was about nine to one in favor of leaving the original RFS as it stands.”

Peterson says the EPA needs to hear that progress is being made.

“Especially with the infrastructure that’s going in.  In Minnesota we’ve got in the neighborhood of 40 stations now that are providing blender pumps.  (The consumer) can choose E10 if they want, but they can also go to E15 or E30; even up to E85.  It’s the consumer’s choice.”

He also points to the difference ethanol has made to air quality.

“A lot of your larger cities; you don’t have to go back that many years, maybe 10 to 15 years where air quality was not very good.  We’ve improved that dramatically with the inclusion of more ethanol with our gasoline.”

November 30^th is the EPA deadline for setting requirements for the RFS, and Peterson says the Minnesota Corn Growers will keep hammering on the agency to go back to the original targets.