The Environmental Protection Agency announced it’s considering a new proposal to reduce 2018 biodiesel, advanced biofuel, and total Renewable Fuel Standard volumes, in addition to a prior proposal to cut 2019 volumes. that has ethanol supporters ‘hopping mad.’ Ethanol Industry groups swiftly responded with press releases that the EPA proposal was unjustified, unneeded, contrary to the RFS’s intent, and would …
NMPF Supports Effort to Bring Clarity to EPA’s Waters of the U.S. Regulation
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) told the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today that the dairy industry supports a two-step process to roll back the existing Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) regulation and generate a new policy that provides farmers greater certainty in the future. NMPF has supported efforts by the Trump Administration since January to restart the regulatory …
EPA Mulling Options on Dicamba
The Environmental Protection Agency aims to allow farmers to use dicamba next year, but with additional rules in place. An EPA official in the agency’s Office of Pesticide Programs told Reuters this week the agency had not yet determined what steps it would take to mitigate problems associated with dicamba. The herbicide was linked to widespread crop damage this summer. …
EPA Considering Dicamba Limits
The Environmental protection Agency is considering establishing limits to dicamba-based herbicides next year. Agriculture officials from several states that are advising the EPA on dicamba tell Reuters that the EPA is considering banning the use of dicamba after a cutoff date, likely in early 2018. The initiative is similar to rules being considered in Arkansas, which would ban the use …
Farm and Biofuels Groups Urge EPA to Comply With Federal Court Decision
Farm and biofuels groups are urging the Environmental Protection Agency to comply with a federal court decision and not reduce proposed 2018 targets for cellulosic and other advanced biofuels in the nation’s fuel supply. National Corn Growers, National Farmers Union, and the Renewable Fuels Association are urging the EPA to follow the law and a recent court decision, and boost, …
National Chicken Council to EPA: Reduce RFS Targets
As agriculture groups submitted their comments to the Environmental Protection Agency last week regarding the Proposed Renewable Fuel Standard, it should come as no surprise that the National Chicken Council urged further reductions. The National Chicken Council, long opposing the RFS, said in comments to the EPA: “As proposed, the RFS targets exceed the percentage of ethanol Congress envisioned being …
WOTUS May End Up in Court
President Trump’s effort to have his Environmental Protection Agency repeal the Obama EPA’s much-criticized ‘Waters of the U.S.’ rule, is likely to end up in court. But an American Farm Bureau official is hopeful the repeal will be upheld. When it comes to ‘WOTUS’ and the pending EPA rule to repeal it, AFB’s Don Parrish is sure of one thing…tape …
RFA Asking EPA to Expand Hurricane Harvey Fuel Waiver
The ethanol industry claims it can fill the shortage in the nation’s fuel supply in the wake of Hurricane Harvey’s devastation in Texas, and impact on the nation’s oil refining capacity The Renewable Fuels Association is asking the Environmental Protection Agency to expand a fuel waiver the agency granted in response to Hurricane Harvey, which has now shut down about …
WOTUS Public Meetings Scheduled
The Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers Monday announced a series of teleconferences regarding the repeal and revision of the Waters of the U.S. rule. Nine of the conferences will focus on a specific sector, including agriculture, conservation, small entities, construction, and others. The teleconferences will run throughout the fall on Tuesdays beginning September 19, 2017. The …
Groups See Pruitt NCBA Video Biased Against WOTUS
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt’s appearance in a video with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is drawing criticism from critics and so-called government ethics experts. The Cattle Network reports that critics say Pruitt inaccurately uses industry talking points to describe the EPA’s Waters of the U.S. rule and that his comments sound as if he has already made up …