AUDIO: Full interview with Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson
Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says the EPA needs to follow the law when it comes to maintaining the integrity of the Renewable Fuel Standard.
Earlier this week, Hinson and the five other members of Iowa?s Congressional Delegation all expressed disappointment with the EPA for failing to finalize Renewable Volume Obligations levels for 2022 by the November 30th statutory deadline. Hinson tells the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network this missed deadline is unfortunate for farmers and biofuel producers.
?These deadlines exist for a reason,? she said. ?It is to provide that much needed certainty for our market. The fact they have just disregarded this timetable, it is incredibly harmful to our Iowa producers more and more each passing day. That uncertainty is exactly why we are trying to take some action to hold them accountable and try to put a spotlight on what they are doing at the EPA.?
Hinson recently introduced the Defend the Blend Act, a bipartisan bill that would prohibit the EPA from reducing the minimum applicable volume of biofuels into transportation fuel once the RVO levels are finalized for any given year. This would prevent the EPA from retroactively reducing 2020 RVO levels.
?The EPA even posturing they could possibly make these changes made it very clear to us that we needed to be very clear that is unacceptable,? Hinson said. ?President Biden came to Iowa to promise to stand up for our renewable fuels industry and it is his EPA in this circumstance that is posturing the other way. We need to make sure he?s held accountable. This is to go to help our producers. Our ag industry feeds and fuels the world, but they are facing mounting challenges and a lot of uncertainty right now. We need to be clear we stand behind them, we understand the challenges they are facing, and we want to make sure the EPA sticks to its important deadlines.?
Hinson?s bill is co-sponsored by Republican Congressman Rodney Davis of Illinois, and Democrats Angie Craig of Minnesota and Ron Kind of Wisconsin.
This legislation has been endorsed by: American Farm Bureau, Growth Energy, POET, ADM, Renewable Fuel Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Biodiesel Board, Green Plains, National Farmers Union, Iowa Farm Bureau, Iowa Renewable Fuel Association, and Iowa Soybean Association.
