WASHINGTON DC (October 29, 2019) — Representative Dave Loebsack today spoke at a Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change of the Committee on Energy and Commerce hearing entitled, "Protecting the RFS: The Trump Administration's Abuse of Secret Waivers." During the hearing, Rep Loebsack questioned witnesses from both the biofuels industry, including Kelly Nieuwenhuis, a farmer and President of Siouxland Energy Cooperative, from Primghar, Iowa, as well representatives from the oil industry. Also discussed at the hearing was HR3006, the “Renewable Fuel Standard Integrity Act of 2019,” which is bipartisan legislation that would provide additional transparency on the use of Small Refinery Exemptions (SRE).
Click HERE for video of Rep Loebsack questioning the witnesses.
“Today, we heard from multiple witnesses about the pain farmers and biofuels producers are suffering from this Administration’s blatant misuse of the SRE program. It is clear that Congress needs to pass HR3006 to ensure greater transparency in the SRE program, but there is more that needs to be done. Additionally, the EPA must guarantee that 15 billion gallons actually means 15 billion, which the Trump Administration has long promised. I will continue to fight back against proposals that fall short of what was promised, and work to uphold the integrity of the RFS. It is past time our farmers and biofuel producers have the certainty they need to help provide our nation with clean, renewable fuel,” Rep Loebsack said following the hearing.
In his testimony before the Committee, Mr Nieuwenhuis stated, “Plain and simple, EPA’s abuse of small-refinery exemptions under the Renewable Fuel Standard is crippling rural America. Our plant has been operating for two decades — including throughout the Great Recession — without ever having to shut down operations. But it wasn’t an economic downturn that made our plant close its doors — it was the illogical and unlawful decisions from EPA that brought us to our knees.”
Mr Nieuwenhuis continued, “I strongly support the bill [HR3006] … to provide some stability and transparency to the SRE process at EPA. EPA’s record on transparency and openness in how they handle SREs is pitiful at best. We have no idea on any sort of specifics used by DOE or EPA in making their decisions. This bill takes care of these basic transparency concerns.”
Background
Rep Dave Loebsack has been a longtime supporter of the RFS, ethanol and the biofuels industry. He has been leading the way in the House to increase oversight and transparency of the Small Refinery Exemption that the Administration has used to undermine the RFS, hurting our farmers and rural communities, while propping up Big Oil. As co-chair of the House Biofuels Caucus, Rep Loebsack helped lead the opposition of the excessive use of the SRE, including this August when the President and EPA granted 31 new waivers. As a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep Loebsack has continually pushed the EPA to be more transparent and called for the suspension of the program until changes were made.
