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NBB blasts EPA decision on Argentina

The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) is blasting the EPA for its decision to allow streamlined biodiesel imports from Argentina to the U.S.  NBB CEO Joe Jobe has written to EPA administrator Gina McCarthy and has asked for a meeting. Jobe told reporters this morning, “This is a discretionary decision that they made and their statement says they could reverse this decision at any time if they get more information. We’re determined to give them much more information and to appeal to them to reverse this decision.”

The NBB says the decision is damaging to the US biodiesel industry and jobs – especially in light of continued delays in establishing RFS volumes.

Anne Steckel, Vice President of Federal Affairs for National Biodiesel, says there seems to be a “ho-hum” attitude in Washington about the EPA’s RFS delay, “Some of the ethanol groups, for example, have said they are okay with the delays. I guess that makes some sense given the fact that they’re a much larger and more mature industry. And, they actually had their best year ever last year. But, we’re actually going backwards and companies are filing bankruptcy.”

NBB estimates as much as 600-million gallons of Argentinian biodesel could enter the U.S. – as biodiesel plants go out of business.  Just this week, Jobe say, Green Earth Fuels of Houston, Texas filed for bankruptcy.