Delegates to the National Corn Growers Association’s Corn Congress today approved a “Sense of the Corn Congress” urging President Trump to uphold his commitment to America’s farmers and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).
“We, the assembled voting delegates of the National Corn Growers Association, ask President Donald Trump to uphold his commitments to protect the RFS and support farmers by ensuring EPA’s administration of the RFS does not undermine the law and the benefits of renewable fuels,”the resolution states.
NCGA delegates offered the statement in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ongoing practice of providing RFS waivers to big oil companies. These waivers have reduced RFS requirements by 2.61 billion ethanol-equivalent gallons through refinery exemptions, with 38 more exemptions pending. Undermining the benefits of renewable fuels, the waivers have also reduced corn use for ethanol production, lowered domestic ethanol consumption and blend rate, and will limit growth of higher ethanol blends such as E15.
Corn Congress delegates will take this message to Capitol Hill this week, urging members of Congress to press the Administration to support the integrity of the RFS and support legislation that would seek to stop waiver abuse and address the harm these waivers cause (H.R. 3006 and S. 1840).
Also this week, NCGA began re-airing an ad featuring NCGA First Vice President and Iowa farmer Kevin Ross appearing at an ethanol plant with President Trump in recognition of the Administration’s support of year-round E15. During the event, Ross thanked the President for delivering on that promise but cautioned, “The EPA’s oil refinery waivers threaten to undo your good works.”
