Billionaire Carl Icahn has been an informal White House adviser on regulatory issues since the early days of the Trump administration. Five Democratic senators asked EPA chief Scott Pruitt for all documents involving any communications involving Icahn and his businesses and the EPA, which regulates air pollution laws and biofuel usage.
The letter from Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, Debbie Stabenow, Jeff Merkley, Elizabeth Warren and Tammy Duckworth asks about Icahn’s “role in development of environmental policy and regulations,” reported DTN. Icahn owns a petroleum refinery and earlier this year argued for a change in the “point of obligation” for compliance with the requirement to mix ethanol into gasoline. Refiners are responsible now and the change would lower costs for his refinery business. There were reports the administration might shift responsibility to retailers.
Warren was among a group of senators that urged the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and other regulators to investigate Icahn’s activities in biofuels credits, which refiners can use to satisfy the requirement for biofuel usage. Reuters reported at the start of this week that the CFTC was not conducting a review of biofuels credits.
Bloomberg reported last month that Icahn’s oil refining company “saved about $60 million in the first quarter because of expectations that the federal government will ease a regulation involving renewable fuels.”