WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, released the following statement today after the EPA announced the final 2019 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO) under the Renewable Fuel Standard:

“I applaud the administration for releasing this final rule on time with the conventional volumes set to the required level outlined by statute. However, the positive aspects of this announcement are overshadowed by the agency’s failure to reallocate renewable fuel gallons removed from the marketplace because of small refinery waivers. This undermines the purpose of the Renewable Fuel Standard and leaves Nebraska’s biofuel producers on uncertain ground in what is already a tough time for farm country.” 

Today the EPA announced that the final 2019 Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO) will be 19.92 billion under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

Senator Fischer has long been concerned about small refinery waivers and their impact on Nebraska biofuels producers. The combined 48 small refinery waivers retroactively granted by the EPA for 2016 and 2017 represents 2.25 billion gallons of biofuel removed from the marketplace.

Nebraska is the largest ethanol producing state west of the Missouri River. The state is home to 25 active ethanol plants that have an annual production capacity of over 2 billion gallons. Nebraska’s ethanol plants represent more than $5 billion in capital investment and provide 1,300 jobs.