Sen. Thune introduces bill to limit indirect land use change analysis by EPA; bill moves to Environment Committee headed by California’s Barbara Boxer

Debate sharperns over biofuels between advocates of energy security, farm development, and and greenhouse gas emissions advocates.

In Washington, Senator John Thune of South Dakota introduced a bill today to require the use of direct lifecyle analysis of greenhouse gas emissions and prevent the use of indirect land use change analysis (ILUC) in considering the greenhouse gas impact of renewable fuels. The bill would also require the EPA to make public its methods for measures direct emissions and permit individual producers to apply for individual carbon scores based on their unique technologies. Finally, the bill creates a petition process whereby ethanol producers can petition EPA to waive greenhouse gas emission requirements if they are preventing the meeting of RFS targets and reducing the drive towards energy independence.

“Following California’s recent decision to use flawed models to estimate ethanol’s environmental impact, I am concerned that the EPA could soon apply similar standards that will handicap renewable fuel relative to regular gasoline,” said Thune in a press statement. “Congress has asked EPA to apply greenhouse gas emission standards that reflect ethanol’s proven environmental benefits. However, with the EPA’s current decision that is pending at the White House, I am concerned that EPA’s action could have a detrimental impact on our renewable fuel industry and efforts to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.”

The bill is structured as an amendment to the Clean Air Act and was introduced yesterday without any co-sponsors. It  was read twice in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works, headed by Senator Barbara Boxer of California, who has been a leading advocate of stringent regulation of greenhouse gas emissions. Boxer also signer a letter last month, along with seven other senators to encourage the release of EPA proposed rulemaking on direct and indirect land-use changes from biofuels production.

Thune also recently introduced bipartisan legislation with Charles Shumer (D-NY) to prevent the imposition of a “cow tax” by the EPA after its landmark decision to define CO2 as a pollutant and to seek regulation of carbon dioxide emissions.

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