A federal circuit court last week granted the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a delay until March 24 to determine whether it will appeal a recent federal ruling that called on the agency to sharply restrict its use of small refinery exemptions (SREs) as it administers the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

Biofuel advocates maintain that the exemptions have destroyed biofuel demand and have severely hurt farmers and rural communities. They plan to use the delay in the decision to...