A member of both the Senate Agriculture and Environment and Public Works Committees, Senator Joni Ernst is continuing to work for Iowa?s farmers and biofuel producers by helping to introduce bipartisan legislation that will foster more transparency and predictability in the Environmental Protection Agency?s (EPA) small refinery exemption process.
The bill would require small refineries to petition for Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) hardship exemptions by June 1st of each year, which will ensure that the EPA properly accounts for exempted gallons in the annual Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO) it sets each November. It will also ensure that certain key information concerning small refinery exemptions is made publicly available, including a description of the methodology the EPA uses when granting exemptions and the extent to which the EPA granted or denied the requested relief.
?For far too long, EPA has gotten away with handing out small refinery waivers like candy- with little transparency or Congressional oversight- and to the benefit of Big Oil,? Senator Ernst said. ?This bipartisan effort shines light on the agency?s process and will help provide more predictability for Iowa?s hardworking farmers and biofuel producers who feed and fuel the world.?
