NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Paul Winters
202-737-8803
pwinters@biodiesel.org
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, the National Biodiesel
Board thanked 44 Members of Congress for urging President Trump to deny recent
requests to waive the 2020 Renewable Fuel Standard volumes. Led by Reps. Abby
Finkenauer (D-IA), Dave Loebsack (D-IA), Roger Marshall, MD (R-KS), Collin
Peterson (D-MN), and Rodney Davis (R-IL), the bipartisan group of lawmakers
delivered a letter to the President asking him "to stand with our farmers
and rural economies during this challenging time" and work together
"on ways to deliver on continued investment and support for
biofuels."
Citing
the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the damage done by EPA's abuse of
small refinery exemptions, the Congressmembers wrote, "This pandemic has
severely strained the market for biofuels, closing plants and dealing another
crippling blow to an industry that is already struggling."
Referring
to requests from state governors that EPA waive the 2020 RFS volumes, the
Congressional letter goes on to say, "In addition to the economic harm
waiving the RFS would cause rural America, these requests are unjustified and
run contrary to the EPA's well-established precedents."
Kurt
Kovarik, NBB's VP of Federal Affairs, states, "On behalf of biodiesel
producers across the country, I'd like to thank Representatives Finkenauer,
Loebsack, Marshall, Peterson and Davis and many others who are standing up on
behalf of the industry and the RFS. As they've noted, an RFS waiver would be
unjustified and simply compound the economic challenges that biodiesel
producers and farmers face. Further, it would undercut a successful
environmental policy that is transitioning the United States to better, cleaner
fuels."
A copy of the letter is available for download.
Additional
Congressmembers endorsing the letter include Reps. Angie Craig (D-MN), Darin
LaHood (R-IL), Cheri Bustos (D-IL), Jim Hagedorn (R-MN), Mike Bost (R-IL),
Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Ann Wagner (R-MO), Don Bacon (R-NE), Mark Pocan (D-WI),
Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO), Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), Cindy
Axne (D-IA), Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), Robin L. Kelly (D-IL), Sam Graves (R-MO),
Ron Estes (R-KS), Steve Watkins (R-KS), James Comer (R-KY), Sean Casten (D-IL),
Jackie Walorski (R-IN), TJ Cox (D-CA), Adrian Smith (R-NE), Steve King (R-IA),
Ron Kind (D-WI), Rick Crawford (R-AR), Jim Baird (R-IN), Jason Smith (R-MO),
Jim Himes (D-CT), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), Jahana Hayes (D-CT), Rosa DeLauro
(D-CT), Scott Peters (D-CA), John Larson (D-CT), Joe Courtney (D-CT), David
Cicilline (D-CT), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH), and
David Scott (D-GA).
Made from an increasingly diverse mix of resources such as recycled cooking oil, soybean oil and animal fats, biodiesel is a renewable, clean-burning diesel replacement that can be used in existing diesel engines without modification. It is the nation's first domestically produced, commercially available advanced biofuel. NBB is the U.S. trade association representing the entire biodiesel and renewable diesel value chain, including producers, feedstock suppliers, and fuel distributors.
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For more about biodiesel, visit www.biodiesel.org.