Me First — Refiners, USW ban together for new RFS group
Source: By Anthony Adragna, Politico • Posted: Friday, May 5, 2017
Add “Fueling American Jobs” to your roster of groups fighting over changing which companies must comply with the Renewable Fuel Standard. The new umbrella group backing the change brings together the United Steelworkers union with Valero and several Philadelphia-area refining companies, Monroe Energy, Philadelphia Energy Solutions and PBF Energy. The steelworkers will be swarming the Hill today to make their case, highlighting possible independent refiner layoffs if a change isn’t made. “Steelworkers have been supportive of moving the point of obligation,” Roy Houseman, legislative representative for USW, told ME. “We have 30,000 members in refining sector, they are impacted by the RFS.”
The missing link: The group notably does not include Carl Icahn’s CVR, which has been forcefully advocating for the change. Icahn is a longtime Trump associate and holds a title in the White House. Icahn’s position raises ethical questions, and the new group may be trying to avoid being controversial.