A renewable fuels trade group has filed a lawsuit against Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt. The Advanced Biofuels Association is the first to sue Pruitt over the Renewable Fuel Standard waivers the EPA is dishing out to refineries, large and small. Association President Michael McAdams says the group is concerned that Pruitt is granting the exemptions in an arbitrary …
EPA Chief Faces Tough Questions
A Politico report says Environmental Protection Agency Chief Scott Pruitt had a simple task during recent Congressional hearings, which was to keep his conservative backers happy. In turn, that may keep the president happy. Democrats and environmentalists panned Pruitt’s job performance as the EPA head is facing a number of ethical and spending questions. Most Republicans seemed pleased enough with …
EPA Waivers Lower Ethanol Production Six Percent
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted Renewable Fuels Standard waivers to dozens of refineries over the last couple of years. The Renewable Fuels Association analyzed the EPA’s own compliance data and found that the exemptions lowered volumetric obligations by at least 1.6 million gallons over that time period. The volume lost over the last two years is ten times …
Former Senators Ask Congress to Investigate EPA/RFS Waivers
Former Senators Byron Dorgan of North Dakota and James Talent of Missouri both played major roles in the legislation that established the current Renewable Fuels Standard. This week, the two say Congress should investigate the waivers to the RFS granted to more than two-dozen refineries by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt. In a statement released by the National Biodiesel …
EPA Chief Faces Scrutiny on Capitol Hill
Lawmakers peppered Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt with questions on ethics and spending allegations that have prompted bipartisan calls for his ouster. An Associated Press report says the EPA boss was on the defensive as he blamed “half-truths” and “twisted” allegations as attempts to undermine the Trump administration’s anti-regulatory agenda. The public questioning on Capitol Hill comes after a …
EPA Administrator Faces “Watershed” Moment
Scott Pruitt, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is approaching his two separate committee hearings in the House of Representatives with sagging support on the hill. Even his most dedicated backers are starting to express concerns about the controversies surrounding the administrator that have continued to swirl. Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe, perhaps his biggest ally in Congress, even says …
Growth Energy Responds To EPA Waivers
Growth Energy sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt condemning the decision to give a small refinery waiver to one of the largest refiners in the U.S. They are also demanding a moratorium on waivers being issued by the EPA. Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor says they want the EPA to immediately stop issuing waivers and end …
Trump Administration to Revise EPA CAFE Standards
The Trump administration Monday announced it will revise fuel-efficiency and emissions regulations for cars and light trucks. Bloomberg News was the first to report the revision effort that the administration says is needed because the current regulations are too aggressive. The Environmental Protection Agency is also considering revoking a waiver for California to allow the state to set its own …
EPA Unresponsive to Letter on RIN Prices
The official position of the Environmental Protection Agency is that high-priced Renewable Identification Numbers do no significant harm to refiners. That position was made public most recently in November of last year. Grassley, along with a handful of other Senators, sent a letter to the EPA in January asking about the agency’s previous findings that RIN prices don’t affect the …
MN Students Want GMO Approval Process Streamlined
A group of graduate students at the University of Minnesota is asking Congress to streamline the approval process for GMO crops that produce food and fiber. A DTN article says the seven students are doing graduate work at the Minnesota College of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Sciences. They believe the regulatory hoops that companies need to jump through to …