Iowans concerned and outraged by EPA?s draft rule

by | Oct 16, 2019 | 5 Ag Stories, News

A federal agency failed to uphold a promise recently made to biofuels proponents.

The biofuels industry responds in a stern tone, calling on the President to make amends.

Several Iowa commodity organizations rallied Wednesday, expressing their concerns about the Environmental Protection Agency?s (EPA) draft supplemental rule. The proposal aimed to fulfill President Trump?s commitment to ensure gallons waived under the Renewable Fuel Standard by small refinery exemptions were reallocated. However, the proposal released by EPA officials Tuesday does not accurately account for lost gallons, as originally promised.

Grant Kimberly, executive director of the Iowa Biodiesel Board, clings to the original promise, which looked to rectify demand destruction.

?The solution President Trump previously promised would have estimated future exempted RFS volumes based on the average, actual volumes exempted over the past three years due to small refinery exemptions. That is the remedy we need to help plants reopen their doors, including one biodiesel plant that closed in Iowa and many others running at less than full capacity. And that?s what we need to infuse new economic life into rural areas still in crisis,? Kimberly said.

Concern, hurt and outrage were expressed by many biofuels stakeholders, who feel betrayed by the Environmental Protection Agency. Kimberly offers an analogy, which outlines what the biofuels industry expects to gain from this proposal.

?The school bully takes your peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the playground. You go to the principal, who orders the bully to give it back to you. The bully is no dummy and has sent it around to all of his ?Big Oil? buddies for a few bites. He gives your half-eaten sandwich back, smiles and says, ?You?re welcome,?? Kimberly said.

The Iowa Biodiesel Board, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, Iowa Soybean Association and Iowa Corn Growers Association plan to work with the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture and White House during the comment period to ?get the rule right.?