EPA Denies Ethanol Waiver

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) denied the request from state governors and several livestock groups to waive the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS).

P. Scott Shearer, Vice President

November 19, 2012

1 Min Read
EPA Denies Ethanol Waiver

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) denied the request from state governors and several livestock groups to waive the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). The EPA said it did not find enough evidence that the RFS would cause serve “economic harm,” the primary argument for a waiver. EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation said, “We recognize that this year's drought has created hardship in some sectors of the economy, particularly for livestock producers. But our extensive analysis makes clear that congressional requirements for a waiver have not been met and that waiving the RFS will have little, if any, impact." A coalition of livestock, poultry and dairy organizations commented, “How many more jobs and family farms have to be lost before we change this misguided policy and create a level playing field on the free market for the end users of corn? It is now abundantly clear that this law is broken. We will explore remedies to fix it.” Fuels America, a coalition of renewable fuels stakeholders thanked EPA “for recognizing the importance of the policy to lowering gas prices and reducing our dependence on foreign oil and the role of the drought, not renewable fuels, in driving current commodity prices.” The RFS requires 13.8 billion gallons of corn-based ethanol to be blended into gasoline in 2013. 

About the Author(s)

P. Scott Shearer

Vice President, Bockorny Group, Inc.

Scott Shearer is vice president of the Bockorny Group Inc., a leading bipartisan government affairs consulting firm in Washington, D.C. With more than 30 years experience in government and corporate relations in state and national arenas, he is recognized as a leader in agricultural trade issues, having served as co-chairman of the Agricultural Coalition for U.S.-China Trade and co-chairman of the Agricultural Coalition for Trade Promotion Authority. Scott was instrumental in the passage of China Permanent Normal Trade Relations and TPA. He is past chairman of the USDA-USTR Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Animals and Animal Products and was a member of the USAID Food Security Advisory Committee. Prior to joining the Bockorny Group, Scott served as director of national relations for Farmland Industries Inc., as well as USDA’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional Affairs (1993-96), serving as liaison for the Secretary of Agriculture and the USDA to Congress.

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