Sen. Barrasso releases statement on hardship relief for small refineries

U.S. Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), recently released a statement on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granting hardship relief for small refineries.

“The law requires EPA to grant relief to small refineries suffering disproportionate economic hardship from the Renewable Fuel Standard,” Barrasso said. “EPA, working with the Energy Department, must conduct a detailed, objective analysis based on confidential business information. They must look at each small refinery on an individual basis whether or not it is part of a larger company. During the Obama administration, EPA didn’t follow the law and the courts rebuked the agency.”

On March 5, Barrasso and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) sent a letter to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and Energy Secretary Rick Perry discussing the importance of granting hardship relief for America’s small refineries. The letter also noted that small refineries submit confidential business and other sensitive information that the agencies and their contractors must protect from all outside parties.

“I applaud Administrator Pruitt and Secretary Perry for recognizing the burdens of this program,” Barrasso said. “They know that we can’t allow it to hurt our nation’s small refineries.”