EPA begins accepting comments on federal renewable fuels standard

Source: by Donnelle Eller, Des Moines Register • Posted: Monday, December 2, 2013

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will begin taking comments on a proposal to scale back the ethanol and biodiesel that must be blended into the U.S. fuel supply.

The federal agency will take public comments until Jan. 28.

Earlier this month, the EPA proposed cutting by 3 billion gallons the amount of renewable fuels that would be blended into the nation’s fuel supply next year. It included reducing corn-based ethanol use by about 1.4 billion gallons.

Bill Northey, Iowa’s Secretary of Agriculture, encouraged Iowans to submit comments.

“The renewable fuels standard needs to be protected as it has helped hold down prices at the pump, created thousands of jobs in rural Iowa, and benefited the environment,” Northey said. “The president should be focused on jobs and the economy rather than looking for ways to hurt rural America.”

Individuals interested in submitting comments to the EPA should reference Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0479. Comments can be submitted by any of the following methods:

• www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for submitting comments.

• Email: a-and-r-docket@epa.gov

• Mail: Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Mailcode: 2822T, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.

• Hand Delivery: EPA Docket Center, EPA West Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460. Such deliveries are only accepted during the Docket’s normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be made for deliveries of boxed information.

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