Senators get reply from EPA, but not the one they were hoping for

July 14, 2018 |

In Washington, D.C., Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and 11 other senators finally got a reply from the Environmental Protection Agency in response to a letter they sent the EPA about the RFS back in April, but not the one they hoped for. The EPA reply said it granted 19 waivers in 2016 and 29 in 2017, but could not tell the senators what companies got the waivers, according to The Fence Post.

“The idea that disclosing to Congress the names of waiver recipients somehow reveals confidential business information doesn’t make any sense and isn’t acceptable,” Grassley said in a statement.

“Providing congress with the names of recipients wouldn’t reveal any details about their operations or finances,” Grassley said. “It’s a necessary first step to making sure the law is being followed.”

“I appreciate finally receiving a response within days of acting Administrator (Andrew) Wheeler taking the reins at EPA, but this non-answer is disappointing.”

“EPA’s acknowledgment that only one waiver applicant has been denied in the past couple years raises questions about the legitimacy of the process,” Grassley said. “I plan on discussing this issue soon with acting Administrator Wheeler, and I hope EPA is more forthcoming under his leadership than his predecessor’s.”

 

Category: Policy

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