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Farmer: EPA’s actions hurt

Testimony in support of the Renewable Fuels Standard Integrity Act came from biofuels leaders and an Iowa farmer today.

Kelly Niewenhuis, president of Siouxland Energy, told members of a House Energy Subcommittee this morning that the EPA’s increase in Small Refinery Waivers over the past three years led to a painful decision, “Because of the EPA’s actions to help the oil industry’s bottom line at the expense of farmers and the biofuels producers, we had to make a hard decision to idle our plant and shut off a key market for hundreds of local farmers including myself.”

Niewenhuis says a small piece of good news came a few weeks ago when the state of California started buying a significant amount of ethanol to achieve its low carbon fuel standard, “This small boost came directly from California not the EPA. The regulatory attempts by the EPA give us little confidence that we will see the relief that we need.”

He says that’s why the ethanol and biofuels industry support the measure introduced by House Ag Committee chairman Collin Peterson and member Dusty Johnson of South Dakota that would require fairness and transparency in the RFS waiver process.