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Governors’ Biofuels Coalition urges EPA to drop “gap year” RFS waivers
The Governors’ Biofuels Coalition is urging the EPA to drop the 52 retroactive “gap-year” RFS waivers recently requested by oil refiners.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, who serves as chair of the Coalition, says the exemptions are an attempt to circumvent a Tenth Circuit Court ruling earlier this year that found EPA overstepped its authority in granting a handful of small refinery exemptions.
Noem says approving prior-year SRE’s ignores the court’s decision, congressional intent, and will severely impact farmers and rural communities that support the biofuels industry.
Renewable Fuels Association CEO Geoff Cooper says these governors have witnessed first-hand the significant effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and know that now is not the time for EPA to give in to oil industry demands and harm the rural economy further.
The Governors’ Biofuels Coalition is asking EPA to work with them to uphold the spirit and intent of the RFS and to ensure a role for biofuels in the nation’s energy future.