May 19, 2014

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s final proposal for ethanol consumption under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in 2014 will reflect comments it received from the biofuel and agriculture industry.

In a report by the High Plains Journal, EPA administrator, Gina McCarthy, said the final proposal, which is set to be released in June, would address concerns raised by the biofuel and agriculture industry on the agency’s original proposal to reduce ethanol consumption in 2014 by 10%.

Late last year, the EPA announced a proposal to reduce ethanol consumption this year to 13.01 billion gallons from 14.4 billion gallons as originally stipulated in the RFS.

Following the announcement, the EPA has received plenty of feedback from both the biofuel and agriculture sectors on the negative impact the agency’s proposed reductions would have on those two industries.

“I’ve been concerned about the disappointment I’ve seen the faces of those farmers. I’m concerned that overall, that this rule..has not just impacted corn ethanol producers but it’s had a chilling effect on the renewable fuels market as a whole,” McCarthy said, according to the High Plains Journal report.

The report said McCarthy’s comments were made at a recent briefing with some of the nation’s leading farm broadcasters and communicators.

Read original story here: EPA's McCarthy Attempts To Build Bridges With The ag Community