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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NCGA Calls Senate RFS Vote a Major VictoryRenewable Fuels Standard
is Now Part of Senate Energy Bill
June
5,
2003
Contacts:
Tracy Taylor Grondine, NCGA, (202) 628-7001
Mimi Ricketts,
NCGA, (636) 733-9004
WASHINGTON (June 5, 2003) — The National Corn Growers Association
(NCGA) is calling today’s adoption of the Frist/Daschle renewable
fuels standard (RFS) amendment a major victory for the renewable fuels
industry. After defeating numerous anti-ethanol amendments, the Senate
passed the RFS in an overwhelming 67 -29 vote. The RFS is now part
of S. 14, the Senate energy bill.
“We fought a tough battle during RFS Senate deliberations,” said
NCGA President Fred Yoder. “But we remained steadfast and continued
toward our pursuit of including the amendment in the Senate energy
bill.”
NCGA expects the Senate to pass the energy bill prior to
the July 4 recess, which will give conferees the opportunity to meet
and discuss
the bill throughout July and August. The House passed its energy
bill in mid-April.
During deliberations, ethanol opponents offered numerous
amendments to kill RFS legislation sponsored by Senate Majority Leader
Bill Frist
(R-Tenn.) and Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) RFS legislation.
All of the amendments were struck down by solid margins. The defeated
amendments
included various state exemptions, waivers and liability treatment
for ethanol.
Provisions of the Senate RFS include:
- Reaching a 5 billion gallon RFS
requirement by 2012;
- Eliminating the
federal reformulated (RFG) oxygen requirement;
- Phasing
down the nation’s use of MTBE over four years;
- Enhancing
air quality gains of the RFG program with strong anti-backsliding provisions;
- Extending the small refiner exemption from five to seven
years; and
- Allowing gasoline marketers to commingle ethanol and non-ethanol blended
fuels at the service station under certain circumstances.
“This is a huge step in making the RFS a reality, but we’re
not yet to the end-game,” Yoder said. “We still need Senate
passage of the energy bill and then final legislation that comes out
of conference. We are in the seventh inning stretch.”
NCGA is optimistic a comprehensive energy bill will be signed into
law by September.
# # #
The National Corn
Growers Association mission is to create and increase opportunities
for corn growers in a changing world and to enhance corn's profitability
and usage. NCGA represents more than 32,000 members, 25 affiliated state
corn grower organizations and hundreds of thousands of growers who contribute
to state checkoff programs.
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