15 bipartisan Senators urge U.S. EPA to end abuse of small refinery exemptions

February 7, 2021 |

In Washington, D.C., a letter signed by a bipartisan group of 15 senators asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to review three small refinery waivers issued by the previous administration just hours before the inauguration of President Joe Biden. “If these waivers do not meet the three-part test laid out in the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals then we urge you to immediately reverse them and deny the refiners’ waiver requests,” the senators wrote.

Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Charles Grassley (R-IA) led the letter, which was also signed by Sens. Tina Smith (D-MN), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), John Thune (R-SD), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Roger Marshall (D-KS), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Josh Hawley (R-MO).

“Your predecessor, former Administrator Andrew Wheeler, took action to exempt three unidentified oil refineries from their 2018 and 2019 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) obligations under the Clean Air Act just hours before the inauguration. These exemptions betrayed earlier assertions made by the Trump Administration that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would not grant or deny additional waivers pending the resolution of ongoing litigation over the use of the small refinery waiver authority.”

“Not only would the actions requested in this letter restore integrity to the RFS and revive confidence throughout our nation’s farm communities, but they would also help fulfill commitments made by President Biden to expand the use of environmentally friendly renewable energy sources.”

Read the full letter here.

Category: Policy

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