On Thursday, after months of complaints about undue secrecy, the EPA unveiled a modified website on the Renewable Fuel Standard that shows its decisions to exempt small-volume refineries from the mandate to mix biofuels into gasoline and diesel fuel. The National Corn Growers Association said that “there are a lot of questions left unanswered.”
The EPA website showed that in the past few years, there has been a sharp increase in waivers to meeting the RFS requirements. While just a handful of waivers were granted in 2013, 2014, and 2015, the EPA approved 19 waiver petitions for the 2016 compliance year and 29 for 2017. Eleven petitions are pending for 2018. Until now, information about the waivers has been difficult to obtain.
Acting EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler said the new “transparency” would provide clarity to the ethanol and petroleum industries. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said he hoped the changes “will put everyone on a level playing field to receive the information at the same time.”
The Corn Growers Association pointed out that the EPA has yet to explain its rationale for approving the waivers and said that unless it changes its rules, the waivers will reduce the market for ethanol. “With low commodity prices and an expected large corn harvest, America’s corn farmers need reliable markets for their crop.” The Renewable Fuels Association faulted the EPA for not listing waiver recipients by name.
The updated EPA website on the RFS is available here.