(NAFB) – A new report from Reuters claims the Environmental Protection Agency will propose cuts to blending requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard.

A document seen by Reuters reporters contained proposed cuts that would reduce blending mandates for 2020 to about 17.1 billion gallons and 18.6 billion gallons for 2021. Those levels are significantly lower than the 20.1 billion gallons finalized for 2020 before the pandemic. EPA is setting the 2020 and 2021 mandates retroactively and would set 2022 at about 20.8 billion gallons.

Reuters suspects ethanol would take the biggest hit, dropping from 15 billion gallons to about 12.5 billion gallons in 2020, 13.5 billion in 2021, and 14.1 in 2022. However, the proposals, sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget last month, are not final.

Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa told reporters Tuesday he expects EPA to release the proposal at the end of this week, possibly late Friday.