On Wednesday afternoon, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Naig, and the Executive Director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, Monte Shaw, held a press conference in Council Bluffs, urging the federal government to address small refinery waivers. At present time, there are 39 “emergency” exemption requests from small refineries being considered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These waivers would exempt the refineries from an annual obligation to have their fuel products contain a specified minimum volume of renewable fuels. Naig and Shaw stated in the press conference that the approval of these waivers “would irreversibly undermine” the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) and have a devastating impact on the nations farmers, particularly in Iowa. The Hawkeye state is the nation’s leading ethanol producer at more than 25 percent of the market. Last year, however, the Renewable Fuels Association reported a decline in the amount of ethanol used in the United States. These waivers, the association says, are the main reason we are seeing that drop in usage. District Four Congressman, Steve King, responded to the press conference, saying the RFS is the law of the land and upholding the mandated volumes is a high priority for him. “The EPA’s small refinery exemptions have hurt rural economies throughout the Midwest, and the President should act to prevent further damage from being done,” King says. “President Trump listened to Iowans when we asked for year round E15, and he should continue to listen to us now when we are asking him to enforce the RFS.”
