Mayors Submit Letter To EPA Administrator On RFS Uphold And Proposed Waivers
On May 11, 2020, a total of 70 Mayors from various cities in the United States submitted a letter to Andrew Wheeler, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, criticizing the decision not to uphold the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and not to reject proposed waivers under Section 211(o)(7) of the Clean Air Act. The Mayors state that this decision on waivers is already causing damage to the economy and will continue to devastate farmers, workers, and families who depend on the biofuels industry. The letter emphasizes:
The request for these waivers is unjustified under the law. Such waivers from RFS requirements may only be granted if there is a demonstration that the RFS causes severe economic harm to the economy as a whole. In reality, refiner market conditions are a result of plummeting demand for gasoline across the country, not compliance with the RFS. Further, the RFS already considers demand reduction by adjusting annual blending volumes to reflect actual motor fuel demand.
Furthermore, the signatory Mayors oppose the claim that higher Renewable Identification Numbers (RIN) prices damage biofuel refineries. Referencing an EPA market analysis, the Mayors argue that higher RIN prices are recovered in the sale of the product rather than disadvantaging merchant refiners. The letter concludes by requesting that EPA reject unjustifiable RFS waiver requests.
