American Soybean Association questions proposed EPA changes to Renewable Fuel Standard

Efforts underway from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to scale back the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) would break repeated promises by President Donald Trump to protect the RFS, according to a recent public statement from the American Soybean Association (ASA).

ASA’s statement follows a recent EPA-published notice of data availability (NODA) that indicated it is considering reducing proposed RFS volumes, including ones that were finalized more than one year ago.

“If realized, this action would be a betrayal of farmers by EPA, and would break the promises made by the President on the RFS on the campaign trail,” ASA President Ron Moore said. “Scaling back the RFS endangers the livelihood of the 64,000 American workers who rely on biodiesel and the rural communities where soybeans and biodiesel are produced, not to mention farmers nationwide for whom biodiesel and other renewable fuels present a vital market for their products.”

Moore added that the RFS has boosted the agriculture economy, increased commodity values, personal earnings, local and state tax revenues, and economic activities in rural communities across the country.

In 2016, the total U.S.-based production of biodiesel was approximately 1.9 billion gallons while an additional 1 billion gallons of biomass-based diesel was imported internationally. EPA proposals called for volumes of 2.1 billion gallons of biomass-based diesel for 2019 which, according to the ASA, was well below the actual capacity of the biodiesel industry to produce fuels in the United States.

In response, ASA called for a level of at least 2.5 billion gallons for 2019. However, EPA’s recent NODA stated it was considering rolling back biodiesel levels below the 2.1 billion gallon level.

“President Trump explicitly promised farmers as a candidate that he would support investments in biofuels and the Renewable Fuel Standard,” Moore said.

ASA stated it would be submitting formal comments to the EPA in response to the NODA by Oct. 19.