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Ethanol, farm groups swiftly condemn more EPA waivers

The EPA’s announcement this afternoon that it’s granting 31 more exemptions to oil refineries from the Renewable Fuels Standard has been met with harsh criticism from the ethanol industry and farm groups. Geoff Cooper with the Renewable Fuels Association tells Brownfield Ag News, “It’s just baffling to us that the administration would take this action and grant even MORE exemptions to small refiners when we’ve already seen the impact of the last round of exemptions. We’ve seen the ethanol market completely battered.”

Cooper says President Trump gave every sign during and after his trip to an Iowa ethanol plant in June that things would change for the better but the EPA has instead chosen “Big Oil,” “I was standing a couple away from the president when he told one of the farmers in Council Bluffs, ‘Hey, I’m going to look into this. I hear you.’ Well, here we are a couple months later and it looks like we’ve got more of the same from this EPA and from this administration.”

Cooper says the only recourse is the lawsuits filed by ethanol groups against the EPA in the DC circuit court and 10th circuit of Colorado. He says 13 ethanol plants have recently shut down affecting not only farmers but ethanol industry workers – a blow to rural communities “from Iowa to Minnesota to Mississippi and Virginia.”

Interview with Geoff Cooper

Emily Skor with Growth Energy says the EPA has proven with this decision that “it doesn’t care about following the law, American jobs, or even the president’s promises.”

The reaction from the American Coalition for Ethanol says “EPA’s refiner win-at-all-costs oversight of the RFS is doing real damage to America’s farmers and renewable fuel producers who are already suffering form trade wars and volatile markets.”

National Corn Growers Association President Lynn Chrisp says ““Farmers are facing a sixth consecutive year of depressed income and commodity prices, with farm income for 2019 projected to be half of what it was in 2013. It’s time for this Administration to act in the best interest of farmers.”

Emily Skor with Growth Energy says the EPA has proven with this decision that “it doesn’t care about following the law, American jobs, or even the president’s promises.”

The reaction from the American Coalition for Ethanol says “EPA’s refiner win-at-all-costs oversight of the RFS is doing real damage to America’s farmers and renewable fuel producers who are already suffering form trade wars and volatile markets.”

National Corn Growers Association President Lynn Chrisp says ““Farmers are facing a sixth consecutive year of depressed income and commodity prices, with farm income for 2019 projected to be half of what it was in 2013. It’s time for this Administration to act in the best interest of farmers.”

Renewable Fuels Association

Growth Energy

American Coalition for Ethanol

  • Shifting the blame instead of GreenShifting the industry…

    The ethanol industry needs to get it’s act together. They built too much capacity (with more coming online thanks to ICM) and it’s totally under their control to reduce production and realign the market. The industry should’ve worked with GreenShift instead of stealing their technology. For years, GERS has been trying to get the industry to upgrade with next generation technologies like more corn oil, CO2-to-ethanol, biodiesel, bioplastics., high protein, etc. The industry failed to make themselves as competitive as possible. Instead, they’re driving themselves into the ground by overproducing. The industry failed to install biodiesel at the ethanol plants. Valero is happy to gobble up corn oil and waste grease, making money from value the industry foolishly passed on. The industry needs to put their big boy pants on and stop blaming everyone else, stop stealing patented technology and stop relying on government handouts. Ethanol and biodiesel are good fuels, but the industry is losing the battle for what matters, educating consumers about it’s benefits. The industry has the power to choose it’s fate but all I see is one mistake after another.

    The industry simply isn’t disciplined, they’re failing investors and failing farmers by overproducing and not innovating fast enough. Yes tariffs and waivers are tough but that’s the reality of the situation. Deal with it by doing what should’ve been done years ago.

    Stop shifting the blame, GreenShifting the industry is long overdue…

  • Come-on Cooper! Just call this administration what it is, A pack of lies. Do we even trust the courts after trump appoints all those corrupt judges. The next election needs a complete flushing of the current leaders.

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