Wrangling at EPA, OMB over indirect land-use biofuels impact numbers

In Washington, intense lobbying is underway in the last days of the Bush administration over indirect land use change modeling.

The Energy Independence and Security Act directed the EPA to conduct a study into modeling the direct and indirect impacts of biofuels, and the study took on new significance after an article in Science magazine last February proposed a new model for indirect land use changes that painted a black picture for first-generation corn ethanol. EPA staff members had initially adopted the Searchinger  model as a basis for its own analysis, and the initial EPA numbers are said to be devastating for first-generation ethanol producers.

A storm  has broken out at the Office of Management and Budget over whether the initial EPA numbers should be released.A spokesman for the Biotechnology Industry Organization told PublicIntegrity.org that the numbers are undergoing an interagency review and are unlikely to be released in time for the Bush administration to take a decision on new regulations for ethanol production.

Action is likely to be left to the Obama energy team, which includes biofuel supporters Steven Chu, Sen, Ken Salazar, former Sen. Tom Daschle and former Iowa Gov Tom Vilsack, who have been nominated as Secretaries of Energy, Interior, HHS and Agriculture respectively.

Free Subscription to the Daily Biofuels Digest e-newsletter

Related Stories

Peterson holds climate change bill in Ag committee, wrangling for farmer protection on biofuels, carbon

In Washington, chairman of the House Agriculture committee, Collin Peterson, is waging war with the House leadership that is seeking to move the climate change bill out of the Ag Committee. Peterson i...

Today in Biofuels Opinion: “BIO estimates that…advanced biofuels could result in more than 800,000 jobs by 2022.”

From Reuters: "A report released Wednesday by Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) estimates that the full economic impact from advanced biofuels — renewable fuels derived from sources other th...

American Soybean Association tells congressional subcommittee that EPA ILUC rules are “unprecedented, untested”

in Washington, representatives from the American Soybean Association told the U.S. House of Representatives Small Business Subcommittee on Regulations, Healthcare and Trade that "the proposed EPA rule...

Today in Biofuels Opinion: “By law, E.P.A. must consider indirect land use change emissions.”

Kate McMahon in the New York Times: "By law, E.P.A. must consider indirect land use change emissions. It is absurd that the biofuel industry, a year after this law was enacted, would turn around and t...

Brazil’s UNICA welcomes US announcements on greenhouse gas emissions, says indirect impacts will be minimal for Brazilian sugarcane

In Brazil, the  Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) welcomed the White House announcement that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published proposed rules to implement the Ren...

EPA’s top gun on indirect land…

EPA's top gun on indirect land use change confesses she has never set foot on a US farm - http://tinyurl.com/ncovag...