House Armed Services Committee OK's "filthy fuels" in new DOD budget bill

May 16, 2011 |

In Washington, the House Armed Services Committee OK’d a defense budget bill that exempted the Department of Defense from Section 526 of the Energy Independence and Security Act, which had since 2007 required that fuels purchased by the military be no more carbon-intensive than standard fossil fuels.

The provision, if passed by the Congress and signed by the President, would permit the DoD to buy fuels made from coal and Canadian tar sands, which have “significantly higher [emissions] than conventional fuels, according to a recent EU study. ”

If this successfully passes both Houses and becomes law, it will end all biofuel options to DOD,” said Imperium Renewable CEO John Plaza told the Digest. “The oil and coal industry have been trying to run this behind-the-scenes gutting of 526 for the last two years, and they are making progress. We are working it and would be thrilled if others in biofuels took action with their representatives as well.”

 

Category: Policy

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