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Nebraska Ethanol Board criticizes EPA Small Refinery Exemptions

Nebraska Ethanol Board Chairman Roger Berry says the Renewable Fuel Standard is important to his state’s economy, environment, farmers, renewable fuel producers, customers, and rural communities. 

Berry says the RFS law as written creates a careful market balance, but only when the EPA takes care to implement the law as intended. “We have seen since 2017 the devastation that occurs to renewable fuels stakeholders including Nebraska’s farmers and biofuel producers when the RFS is implemented in a way that tells obligated parties that the final RVO’s set for the following year are actually retroactively able to be reduced by small refineries.”

Berry testified at an EPA hearing in Michigan Wednesday for the proposed rule for ethanol and biodiesel blending under the RFS. He says Governor Pete Ricketts will also be weighing in on the issue. “He either has already or will be very soon, submitting the comments from his office on the supplemental proposed rule, and the NEB fully supports what Governor Ricketts either has or will be submitting.”

More than 50 farmers, biofuel producers, agriculture groups, and representatives of the petroleum industry testified at the hearing.  The EPA will be accepting public comments on the proposed rule for another month.