WASHINGTON, D.C. — A report was issued today that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “consistently ignored” direction from the Department of Energy (DOE) to restrict or reject economic waivers for oil refiners under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). In response to the news, Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor issued the following statement:

“Administrator Pruitt just finished telling crowds of struggling farmers that the massive increase in EPA handouts wasn’t driven by his loyalty to a few wealthy refiners. But these companies aren’t small and they aren’t experiencing hardship – unlike farmers facing a five-year plunge in income. In fact, those waivers are at odds with everything we hear from the Department of Agriculture, President Trump, and now the Department of Energy.

“It’s easy to understand why voters in the heartland view EPA as failing President Trump’s promises to rural America. Waivers have taken billions out of the pockets of farmers, while EPA continues to demand more handouts in exchange for the freedom to sell E15 – even after President Trump called for a fix.

“It’s vital the White House take action now to reverse a drain on farm income that threatens the entire rural economy by immediately restoring the demand that has been lost and providing year-round market access for higher biofuel blends.”

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