Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, released the following statement on the announcement that the EPA will grant 31 exemptions to small refineries:

“I’m pleased to see President Trump and the administration head in a positive direction by waiving fewer gallons of ethanol this time around, but there’s more that must be done. For Nebraska farmers and ethanol producers, there needs to be order and transparency in what is now a messy exemption process. That’s why I’m focused on building support for my bipartisan bill – the RFS Integrity Act – that will fix this issue and provide rural America with much-needed certainty and predictability.” 

Earlier this summer, Senator Fischer introduced the bipartisan RFS Integrity Act of 2019. The bill aims to add order and transparency to a messy and opaque Small Refinery Exemption process. It sets a deadline for refiners to apply for exemptions and requires the EPA to account for lost gallons when coming up with Renewable Volume Obligations. Additionally, the legislation mandates more transparency in how and when the EPA reports Small Refinery Exemptions. Currently, the RFS Integrity Act has nine cosponsors, five Republicans and four Democrats.

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