Members of Congress Write EPA Administrator in Support of RFS

The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) thanks Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), Al Franken (D-Minn.), and John Thune (R-S.D.) and 27 additional Senators along with Reps. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.), Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) and 29 additional Congressmembers for their letters protesting the EPA’s 2014 proposed rule for the Renewable Fuel Standard.

Brent Erickson, executive vice president of BIO’s Industrial & Environmental Section, said, “We thank the many Senators and Representatives who raised their voices to protect domestic innovation, jobs and the environment by fighting to preserve the Renewable Fuel Standard. We agree that EPA’s proposal to significantly reduce biofuel production and use under this proposed rule could send the wrong message to investors and threaten the development of advanced and cellulosic biofuels. It also puts job creation through growth of the advanced biofuel sector at risk. The industry could create 800,000 additional jobs through 2022.”

The House letter states, “By reducing the amount of renewable fuel blended into gasoline lower than in 2013, this rule could hurt rural economies, jeopardize American jobs, raise prices at the pump and deter investment in biofuels and biofuel infrastructure. We are further concerned that the rationale used by the EPA is inconsistent with the current statute and could jeopardize the future of the renewable fuel industry.” The full text can be found at http://bustos.house.gov/sites/bustos.house.gov/files/Letter.EPA_.RFS_.01.16.2014.pdf.

The Senate letter highlights the significant barriers to future biofuel industry growth embodied in the EPA proposal for 2014. “Limiting RFS to levels that can be met with existing infrastructure eliminates incentives to invest in the technologies and infrastructure necessary to meet our domestic policy goal of increasing biofuels production and use,” the letter states. The full text can be found at .