Ethanol Week - August 27, 2019

Perdue memo shows options to boost ethanol following SRE outrage An emailed memo dated Aug. 20 from Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue obtained by Ethanol Producer Magazine outlines several actions federal officials are considering in response to backlash over the U.S. EPA’s Aug. 9 approval of 31 SREs. READ MORE SHARE
RFA: EPA ignored White House recommendation to reallocate SREs Documents obtained by the RFA show that the U.S. EPA ignored strong recommendations from within the Trump Administration to redistribute RFS blending obligations lost to SREs in the proposed rule for 2020 renewable volume obligations. READ MORE SHARE
	Axne calls for OIG investigation into EPA’s misuse of SREs Rep. Cindy Axne, D-Iowa, sent a letter to U.S. EPA Acting Inspector General Charles Sheenhan Aug. 21 requesting the EPA OIG conduct an investigation into the agency’s questionable decision-making and misuse of its SRE authority. READ MORE SHARE
Growth Energy members urge Trump to reallocate lost SRE volumes Nearly 100 members of Growth Energy sent a letter to President Trump Aug. 26 urging him to call upon the U.S. EPA to honor his commitment to American biofuels and rural prosperity by restoring biofuel demand lost due to small refinery exemptions. READ MORE SHARE
Representatives urge GAO investigation of SREs A dozen members of Congress, led by Rep. Abby Finkenauer, D-Iowa, sent a letter to U.S. Comptroller General Gene Dodaro Aug. 21 urging the U.S. Government Accountability Office to examine the review and approval of SREs under the RFS. READ MORE SHARE
Iowa officials urge EPA to account for SREs Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Iowa Secretary of Agricultural Mike Naig sent a letter to U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler Aug. 21 outlining the damaging effects of the agency’s recent approval of 31 small refinery exemptions (SREs) under the RFS. READ MORE SHARE
USDA: Corn use for fuel ethanol down slightly in June The USDA recently released its Grain Crushings and Co-Products Production report with data from June, reporting that corn consumed for fuel ethanol was down slightly from both the previous month and June 2018. READ MORE SHARE
Groups slam EPA claim that SREs don’t damage ethanol demand The Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy have spoken out to slam the U.S. EPA’s Aug. 20 claim that there is “zero evidence” of demand destruction for ethanol associated with the agency’s treatment of small refinery exemptions (SREs). READ MORE SHARE
EPA extends public comment period on Section 610 review of RFS The U.S. EPA posted a notice to its website Aug. 21 extending the public comment period on its review of the Renewable Fuel Standard under Section 610 of the Regulatory the Regulatory Flexibility Act through Sept. 23. READ MORE SHARE
Report: Canadian ethanol production, use forecast up in 2019 A report recently filed with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s Global Agricultural Information Network provides an overview of Canada’s biofuel industry and the country’s changing biofuels policy framework. READ MORE SHARE