Iowa Corn Farmers Disappointed EPA Fails to Account for Small Refinery Waivers in Proposed RVO Rule

JOHNSTON, IA – July 5, 2019 – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today the proposed Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO) for the 2020 conventional biofuels requirement at the statutory level of 15 billion gallons under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). However, the EPA’s actions today mean very little if they continue destroy ethanol demand through the use of Small Refinery Exemptions (SRE). 

“We are discouraged by the EPA’s decision to not uphold the integrity of the RFS and account for its heavy usage of the Small Refinery Exemption process as required by law,” said Curt Mether, President of the Iowa Corn Growers Association and a farmer from Logan, Iowa. “Farmers are facing a tough economic environment, and the waivers from the EPA are degrading the top priority for Iowa’s corn farmers while impacting our bottom line.”

The EPA has handed out an unprecedented number of exemptions to small refineries across the country, effectively destroying more than 2.7 billion gallons of ethanol demand resulting in the destruction of nearly 1 billion bushels of corn demand. Farmers expect the EPA to uphold the RFS as President Trump promised to do.

“The damage created by the EPA through SREs undermines the RFS and destroys markets for Iowa’s corn farmers. We need President Trump to keep the EPA in alignment with his promises on ethanol,” stated Mether. “ICGA thanks Secretary Perdue and his team at USDA for their continued support and work to ensure the voices of corn farmers are being heard.” 

For More Information:

For more information:

Brandi Snyder, Public Relations Manager, bsnyder@iowacorn.org, 515-225-9242