Michigan Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters recently joined five other senators in asking the Trump Administration to support a strong Renewable Fuels Standard.
The administration recently took more action to benefit oil companies and undercut American-grown biofuels.
The Environmental Protection Agency issued 31 small refinery hardship waivers, which allows oil companies to blend less biofuel into gasoline.
The August 8 announcement effectively cut demand for biofuels by over 1.4 billion gallons.
Stabenow says:
“The President needs to stop putting the interests of big oil companies ahead of farmers who are already struggling thanks to the administration.”
“The effect of the 31 small refinery waivers is compounded by the 54 additional waivers the EPA has granted over the last two years.”
Peters says:
“I’m disappointed that our farmers continue to be undermined by the Trump Administration’s waivers for big oil companies.”
“The RFS was created to reduce our reliance on foreign oil sources and shift us to homegrown biofuels that we grow and produce domestically.”
The Administration’s use of waivers has increased 370 percent, with some of them going to the world’s largest oil companies.
Recently, more than 13 ethanol plants and eight biodiesel plants have idled their production or shut down entirely across the country.