Farmers Union petitions for review of EPA Renewable Fuel Standard

The National Farmers Union is asking the courts to require EPA to follow the Renewable Fuel Standard.
The National Farmers Union is asking the courts to require EPA to follow the Renewable Fuel Standard.

Renewable fuel volume targets are being set much lower by the Environmental Protection Agency’(EPA) than the law requires.

The National Farmers Union is asking the courts to require EPA to follow the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) with a review of the final rule setting of the volume targets for the last three years, including this year.

“Undermining the RFS is not only damaging for agriculture, it is a decision that harms the environment, weakens rural economies and stalls progress towards energy independence,” NFU President Roger Johnson said. “We believe the EPA’s final rule and interpretation of their general waiver authority is wrong and requires legal review. When the EPA makes a decision at the expense of the administration’s own climate change goals, I question if the agency considered the market supply and surplus [Renewable Identification Number] credits when drawing its conclusion.”

Groups including Americans for Clean Energy and the American Coalition for Ethanol are among those joining the NFU in its request to the EPA.

“As an association rooted in the interests of farmers, ranchers and rural America, NFU has been critical of the EPA’s final RFS ruling," Johnson said. "We look forward to standing alongside our industry partners in support of a challenge to the EPA’s erroneous interpretation of the renewable fuels supply. We are hopeful our actions will bring clarity to this concerning issue."