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NCGA
representatives meet with Winston Hickox, far right, secretary
of the California EPA. Pictured are, left to right, NCGA Director
of Energy Analysis John McClelland, Colorado School of Mines Chemical
Engineering Professor Michael Graboski, NCGA Chairman Lee Klein
and NCGA Ethanol Marketing Committee member and Illinois Corn
Marketing Board member Theresa Schmalshof.
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NCGA,
California EPA Lay Ethanol Issues on the Table (10-26-01)
The
National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) on Thursday heard from the
California EPA a softening of concerns about ethanol in California and
expression of a need for a "flexible" federal renewable fuels
standard.
The
NCGA wrapped up its weeklong California ethanol outreach program Thursday
by meeting with California EPA Secretary Winston Hickox, who expressed
a more positive position on ethanol in California.
All
this week, a delegation from NCGA has met with key California agricultural
groups and state agency officials to offer help, knowledge, expertise
and experience as these groups begin exploring ways to expand the ethanol
industry in the state. Representing NCGA were Corn Board Chairman Lee
Klein, a farmer from Battle Creek, Neb.; NCGA Ethanol Marketing Committee
member Theresa Schmalshof, a farmer and Illinois Corn Marketing Board
member from Adair, Ill.; NCGA Director of Energy Analysis John McClelland;
and Colorado School of Mines professor and NCGA consultant Mike Graboski.
In
Thursday's meeting, Hickox asked for information the state can use as
it "goes into the process of reacting to the denial" by the
U.S. EPA to California's request for a waiver to the oxygen requirement
of the Clean Air Act.
He
said he found a recent fact-finding trip to the Midwest to be "extremely
helpful" as the state works to determine the value of expanding
the ethanol industry.
"I
learned a lot about farmer cooperatives, and found there are things
that warm my heart," Hickox said. "Some of that was the fact
that these cooperatives offer farmers options, and provide competition
for larger distributors. I saw how that can help in California."
He
said that trip also eased his concerns about transporting ethanol from
the Midwest to California, adding that he is concerned about the infrastructure
to distribute ethanol within the state and the ability of the refining
industry to meet MTBE phase-out deadlines.
In
a discussion about California Governor's pending announcement about
either maintaining the current Jan. 1, 2003 deadline for phasing out
MTBE as an oxygenate, or extending that deadline by "a short period
of time," Hickox admitted he did not know which direction the governor
will take.
"I
will say, however, that I am not going to make a recommendation to him,"
said Hickox, noting that his staff has compiled all of the information
the governor needs to make the decision, which he called "imminent."
The
bottom line in the whole debate about ethanol and oxygen requirements
in the state of California, Hickox concluded, is that all parties need
to come together to develop a federal solution - a renewable fuels standard
- for the entire country.
"But
with that solution, we need flexibility," he said.
McClelland
explained that the Hagel-Johnson Bill, which the NCGA supports, provides
that flexibility.
In
support of a national renewable fuels standard, Hickox said, "We
need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and take advantage of domestically
produced, renewable fuels."
More
information about NCGA and ethanol is available at: www.ncga.com.
Last
reviewed October 26, 2001
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