RFA Statement on Renewable Fuel Standard Integrity Act of 2019

May 26, 2019 |

In Washington, D.C., House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN) and Representative Dusty Johnson (R-SD) introduced the Renewable Fuel Standard Integrity Act of 2019 last week. The bill would require refineries seeking an exemption from the RFS to submit petitions in a timely manner so that any waivers granted would be prospectively reallocated to non-exempt obligated parties. The legislation also would enhance transparency by ensuring that key information surrounding small refinery exemptions is publicly disclosed.

Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper issued the following statement in support:

“The ethanol industry thanks Chairman Peterson and Rep. Johnson for their leadership and proactive efforts to rein in EPA’s abuse of the small refiner exemption program. This bipartisan bill would prevent companies like ExxonMobil, Chevron, Holly Frontier, and CVR from further gaming the system and undercutting the Renewable Fuel Standard. For five years in a row, EPA has failed to enforce the RFS conventional biofuel volume requirements set forth by Congress, even though there has been ample supply available at a low cost to meet the statutory volumes. The consequences of EPA’s chronic mismanagement of the RFS have been economically devastating for ethanol producers, farmers, and consumers alike.

“In recent years, the Congressionally required RFS volumes have been undermined by a surge in secretive small refiner exemptions and an abject failure on the part of EPA to reallocate those exempted volumes. This bill would put an end to EPA’s destructive practices by effectively requiring the reallocation of any waived volumes and ensuring the statutory volumes are fully enforced. We applaud Chairman Peterson and Rep. Johnson for their work to restore transparency and integrity to the RFS.”

 

Category: Policy

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