Micheal Clements, NAFB News Service

A coalition of farm and ethanol groups want the Environmental Protection Agency to take the “next step” in denying waivers under the Renewable Fuel Standard. While the groups say EPA’s recent announcement that it has denied 54 petitions for “gap year” small refinery exemptions under the RFS was indeed a big step forward, “there is more work to be done to fully restore integrity to the RFS.” There are 50 exemption petitions still awaiting a decision, and EPA still has not released the 2021 RVO proposal. The Renewable Fuels Association, American Coalition for Ethanol, National Corn Growers Association and National Farmers Union worked together and won a unanimous federal court decision in January that they say should have put an end to EPA’s abuse of the refinery exemption program. There are 17 gap-year petitions remaining and 33 pending exemption requests for 2019 and 2020.  In a press conference Wednesday, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper stated, “EPA needs to reject those the second they come through the front door,” from the Department of Energy.