RFS Waiver Saga Continues: Court Halts EPA Waivers…For Now

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued three blending waivers, or Small Refinery Exemptions (SREs), to fuel refiners immediately before the exit of the agency’s administrator Andrew Wheeler. It wasn’t popular in the biofuels industry, and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) challenged the waivers in court. Late last week, the court ordered the waivers be halted until they can be further reviewed, a win for RFA and the industry. Why it’s important: The waivers — including one that was originally denied in 2018 — would amount to 260 million gallons of ethanol and biodiesel removed from the fuel complex, or the equivalent of 90 million bushels of corn or “shutting down three or four ethanol plants.” Ethanol industry leaders say they’re hopeful the new EPA Administrator will “put an end to this nonsense” of small refiner waivers. See and hear more of the latest on this evolving story.