ACE pushes EPA to allow E15 and higher blends market access year-round.
American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) CEO Brian Jennings issued the following statement after news reported by Reuters that the Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has consistently ignored recommendations from the Department of Energy (DOE) to reject or limit waivers to oil refiners seeking exemptions from the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).
“Administrator Pruitt’s continued mischaracterizations of his rationale for using the hardship waivers as reported by Reuters today is causing even more harm in rural America. His less than truthful answers to farmers in South Dakota blaming the DOE for requiring EPA to hand out waivers like candy is the last straw. Disagreeing is one thing — lying to cover up something you did that impacts rural families’ livelihoods is another.
“Administrator Pruitt continues to disregard President Trump’s campaign promise that ‘the EPA should ensure that biofuel blend levels match the statutory level set by Congress under the RFS.’ This news only reinforces our decision to challenge certain Small Refinery Exemptions in Court and to petition EPA to account for lost volumes of renewable fuel resulting from the unprecedented number of retroactive Small Refinery Exemptions granted by the agency.
“A strong rural economy depends upon growing the use of renewable fuels. The president needs to direct Administrator Pruitt to discard EPA’s refiner win-at-all-costs mentality and carry out another of President Trump’s promises to allow E15 and higher blends market access year-round. More than two months ago, President Trump pledged to allow the use of E15 year-round, yet EPA to-date refuses to make good on that promise. This is unacceptable.”
