U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan joined Agritalk Radio to discuss the latest news on SREs, RVOs, and the future of the RFS.

On EPA proposing to deny all pending SRE requests….

I believe we need to be on course to grow biofuels in this country, and so when we look at some of these exemptions, it's our opinion, and the court's opinion, that these exemptions have not been done properly in the past and we look forward to making the right calls as we move forward.

On giving refineries an alternative avenue for blending compliance….

The alternative path to compliance that was awarded to the first batch of SREs was done because these mistakes were made so far in the past and the market has moved forward and the conditions on the ground have shifted such that we made those special conditions or provisions for those. Moving forward, that is not a guarantee.

On finalizing the 2021 and 2022 RVOs by June 3rd….

That is still the plan. We want to provide certainty, we want to rebuild the foundation of this program. As you know 2020 was a clean-up year. 2022 will be one of the most aggressive RVO years that we've seen. And for 2023 and beyond, we want to build on that. Biofuels will be a part of the solution for climate change and lowering the prices that we are seeing at the pump.

On defining the future of the RFS….

This program, in my opinion, has not been well managed in the past and hard decision have to be made. What we're going to do is follow the law, we're going to follow the science, and we're going to put this program on sound footing so that biofuels can play the role that Congress intended for it to play.

On food vs. fuel….

I consult on a weekly basis, if not a daily basis, with the Secretary of Agriculture, so in the decisions that we make we will not be put in the position where our country has to face fuel vs. food. We don't believe we are there, we don't believe we will get there, and we believe that the science and the law provide for us to create a viable path for biofuels.

Listen to the full inteview here.

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