The following statement may be attributed to Iowa Farm Bureau Federation President Craig Hill.

“It is deeply disappointing that the EPA has yet again chosen to side with big oil companies and grant more ethanol waivers, giving favor to oil companies at the expense of farmers. This is more bad news not just for Iowa farmers, but for our state’s economy: one in five Iowans is employed because of agriculture.  Renewable fuels is a $4 billion yearly industry for Iowa. 

Losing another 1.4 billion gallons of ethanol production and allowing refineries to bypass using renewable fuel is a blow for farmers who are already fighting through low commodity prices.  The RFS is vital to domestic demand for our crops, which is especially important as we wait for the trade wars to end.

IFBF is opposed to these waivers and the way they have been abused by EPA and the oil industry over the last few years.  We strongly support EPA implementing the RFS in a manner consistent with how Congress wrote the law, which does not include granting EPA carte blanche authority to hand out SREs and pick winners and losers whenever they see fit.”