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NBB says more EPA waivers terribly disappointing

Another round of refinery exemptions has been granted by the EPA and the National Biodiesel Board is very disappointed. Kurt Kovarik with NBB federal affairs, says demand destruction for biodiesel is high and he uses the 2017 RVO of 2-billion gallons as an example, “With all of the refinery exemptions that have been granted right now we’re looking at almost 240-Million gallons below that, or a 12% cut.”

Kovarik tells Brownfield biodiesel is especially vulnerable, “They’ve been granting these refinery exemptions on the assumption that it relieves the pressure kind of on the corn ethanol blend rate and the blend wall. In actuality, the exemptions that have been granted have harmed our industry the most because we don’t have a blend wall.”

Kovarik says it’s bad that EPA grants these waivers in darkness, “You know, we’re kind of running blind here. We learn from EPA on a monthly basis how many they’re granted but we don’t know who they are, how many gallons. We have to kind of do our back of the envelope math to determine the impact it has on our industry.”

The Biodiesel Board is among the groups suing the EPA for granting the oil company waivers that Congress intended to be used in emergencies only.

Interview with Kurt Kovarik

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