South Dakota takes to the street to protest EPA administrator’s ethanol attacks

In South Dakota, farm, biofuel, and community leaders hosted a tractor rally in Sioux Falls this week where participants voiced their concerns about attacks on homegrown biofuels led by the chief of the U.S. EPA, who is passing through the state this week.

The event was moderated by South Dakota broadcasting titan Jim Woster and featured Troy Knecht, president of the South Dakota Corn Growers Association, and South Dakota Rep. Kent Peterson, R-Salem. Other speakers included Doug Berven, vice president of corporate affairs for Poet, and Dusty Johnson, former South Dakota Public Utilities Commissioner.

“Farm income is down by 52 percent over the last five years, and the destruction of demand for South Dakota grains under Administrator Pruitt’s refinery waivers has to stop,” said Knecht. “We have 12,500 corn farmers in South Dakota who depend on stable ethanol markets for their livelihood. We would welcome Administrator Pruitt to give South Dakotans good news about allowing E15 sales year-round, but his track record shows that our concerns have fallen on deaf ears at the EPA.”