The EPA must enact Trump’s renewable fuels pledge

In October, President Donald Trump pledged his support for a plan to reverse damage done to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and subsequent demand destruction for biofuels for the past several years. Days later, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its own plan. Unfortunately, the EPA strategy doesn't uphold the president's promise to reach the 15 billion gallon biofuel blend level the RFS requires.

There is a significant flaw in the EPA's proposed fix. The EPA stated it will calculate future volumes by using a three-year average of Department Of Energy estimates - which have proved unreliable. In other words, the EPA is giving no guarantee refinery exemptions will be fully accounted for in future RFS projections.

EPA failure to abide by President Donald Trump's pledge will further damage a biofuels industry that has been battling regulatory uncertainty for years. Farmers battle enough uncertainty's every year with variable weather, trade disputes, and changing market demands. We need our government to create a stable policy so that we understand and can plan for that market.

I know that our leaders like Sens. Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley are trying hard to get the EPA to honor the president's pledge. I encourage everyone to contact all their U.S. representatives and senators and urge them to lead the fight to hold the administration and its EPA accountable.

Marlyn Jorgensen

Garrison