32 senators urge EPA to set levels for biodiesel industry
February 10, 2015 |06:52 PM
U.S. Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), with a bipartisan group of 30 other senators, on Monday pressed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reassure the biodiesel industry and its workers.
In a letter, the senators asked for long-delayed production standards from the EPA.
Citing recent layoffs and plant closures, the senators underscored the need for setting production levels under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for 2014, and to move ahead on these levels for 2015 and 2016.
Last year, nearly 80 percent of U.S. biodiesel producers scaled back production, and almost 6 in 10 idled production altogether, the senators said.
Two-thirds of producers said they have already reduced or anticipate reducing their workforce, the senators added.
“EPA’s recent actions have neither reflected industry capacity nor biodiesel’s separate treatment under the RFS,” the senators wrote. “We urge you to get biodiesel back on schedule under the statutorily prescribed Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO) process and quickly issue volumes for 2014 at the actual 2014 production numbers.”
The letter continued, “We also hope you move forward on the 2015 and 2016 biodiesel volumes in a timely manner, ensuring that these delays do not become the norm for the industry.”
▪ Senators’ letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy
In a letter, the senators asked for long-delayed production standards from the EPA.
Citing recent layoffs and plant closures, the senators underscored the need for setting production levels under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for 2014, and to move ahead on these levels for 2015 and 2016.
Last year, nearly 80 percent of U.S. biodiesel producers scaled back production, and almost 6 in 10 idled production altogether, the senators said.
Two-thirds of producers said they have already reduced or anticipate reducing their workforce, the senators added.
“EPA’s recent actions have neither reflected industry capacity nor biodiesel’s separate treatment under the RFS,” the senators wrote. “We urge you to get biodiesel back on schedule under the statutorily prescribed Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO) process and quickly issue volumes for 2014 at the actual 2014 production numbers.”
The letter continued, “We also hope you move forward on the 2015 and 2016 biodiesel volumes in a timely manner, ensuring that these delays do not become the norm for the industry.”
▪ Senators’ letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy
