No. 102, October 24, 2019 TOP STORY Join Us Next Week in Michigan at EPA’s Public Hearing on SRE Proposal! On Wednesday October 30, Growth Energy will testify at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) public hearing on the agency’s supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking. We plan on raising our concerns directly with EPA, as the proposal put forth October 15 betrays President Trump’s promise to rural America and ignores an agreement between the White House and rural champions across the heartland.
At the hearing, we will note that this EPA proposal would do nothing to bring back the ethanol plants that have closed or help the struggling farm families who have been hit hardest by the EPA’s oil handouts. We hope you will join us in fighting back and need advocates like you to send a clear message to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. The agency will hold a hearing on October 30 in Ypsilanti, Mich., and make your voice heard by EPA.
EPA Hearing Participation Information
How to Register
Share Your Story If you are unable to make it to the hearing next week in Michigan, please keep a look out for other opportunities to make your voice heard in the coming days. For more details on the 10/30 Michigan hearing, contact Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Chris Bliley.
For messaging or communications needs, please contact Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs Elizabeth Funderburk.
WORKING FOR YOU IN COMMUNICATIONS LEGAL REVIEW IN REGULATIONS ON THE HILL AROUND THE GLOBE ON THE TRACK UPCOMING EVENTS
American Ethanol Martinsville Paint Out EPA Supplemental Notice Hearing American Ethanol Phoenix Paint Out Save the Date: Growth Energy ELC 2020
IN COMMUNICATIONS Skor Denounces EPA Supplemental Rule in Michigan NBC News 8 Interview In a recent interview that aired on NBC News 8 in Grand Rapids, Mich., Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor underscored how EPA's supplemental proposal for the 2020 RVOs fails to live up to the president's promise to account for lost gallons due to refinery exemptions. She also highlighted our industry's frustration over EPA's continued refusal to uphold the integrity of the RFS.
View the full segment by visiting the NBC News 8 YouTube channel here, or clicking the image above. For more questions or comments, contact Vice President of Communications Elizabeth Funderburk.
LEGAL REVIEW Biofuels Coalition Files Petition Challenging EPA on 2018 Refinery Waivers On Tuesday, Growth Energy and a coalition of renewable fuel and agricultural trade organizations filed a petition with the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, challenging the process by which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) exempted certain unknown small refineries from their respective Renewable Fuel Standard obligations for 2018.
Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor said that this petition would continue to hold EPA accountable for its mismanagement of SREs: "The explosion of so-called hardship exemptions granted to dozens of refineries, including oil giants like Exxon and Chevron, goes far beyond anything permitted by law. Under the RFS, refinery exemptions should decrease over time, not serve as a free pass for regulators to limit competition from homegrown fuels. We are going to hold the EPA accountable under the law for the damage it has done to rural communities, biofuel producers, and farm families.” In an interview with Brownfield Ag Radio, Growth Energy General Counsel Joe Kakesh said, “the real basis of this [petition] is that such a large number of exemptions being granted with such little explanation can’t be justified under the RFS.”
Brownfield Ag Radio also noted that, "Kakesh tells Brownfield in two short pages, the EPA purported to resolve 36 waivers that exempted small refineries from having to blend almost one and-a-half billion gallons of renewable fuel last year.”
For more questions or comments, contact Growth Energy General Counsel Joe Kakesh.
IN REGULATIONS State Updates Growth Energy Advocates for Benefits of E15 at CARB Workshop in California
We will continue to stay actively engaged with CARB and other state regulators as they continue their evaluation of E15 and other ethanol blends. New York Holding Public Meetings on Regional Transportation Climate Initiative
In addition to two meetings held on October 23 and 24, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will hold meetings on October 28 in Buffalo, N.Y. and on November 7 in Ithaca, N.Y. Growth Energy Vice President of Regulations Chris Bliley will attend the October 28 meeting to support higher blends of ethanol fuel, like E15.
We encourage anyone who is in the area to attend and make their voice heard in support of biofuels. For more questions or comments, contact Vice President of Regulations Chris Bliley. ON THE HILL House Committee to Hold Hearing on Administration Abuse of Refinery Exemptions The House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change announced this week it will hold a hearing on the abuse of small refinery exemptions on Tuesday, October 29 at 10:30 AM ET in the Rayburn House Office Building room 2123.
The hearing entitled, "Protecting the RFS: The Trump Administration's Abuse of Secret Waivers" will examine mismanagement of the RFS by EPA and will discuss H.R. 3006, the Renewable Fuel Standard Integrity Act of 2019, introduced by biofuels champions Reps. Collin Peterson, Dusty Johnson, Dave Loebsack, and Rodney Davis. Learn more about this legislation here. For more questions or comments, contact Vice President of Government Relations John Fuher.
AROUND THE GLOBE Mexico Fuel Reporters Tout Ethanol After NASCAR Tour Note: Video is in Spanish.
Last month, Growth Energy and the U.S. Grains Council invited a group of about 10 automotive reporters from Mexico to visit the United States; tour an ethanol plant, an Indiana farm, and a blender pump facility; and attend a NASCAR race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a behind the scenes experience. The trip gave the reporters a glimpse into why ethanol fuel has been so successful in the U.S. and how it has provided consumers a cleaner-burning, more affordable fuel option. As Mexico considers adopting ethanol fuels into their own fuel supply, this trip was a chance to create advocates within Mexico's press and combat misinformation on ethanol in the country.
Following the tour, the reporters returned to Mexico where they have published stories on the potential benefits of ethanol fuel for Mexican consumers and fuel retailers in publications like Motor Pasión, Pulso, El Heraldo de México Online, and more. Mexican reporter Ricardo Guzman of Autoboutique 1/4 de Milla also posted a video detailing his time on the tour, which can be viewed by clicking the image above. For more details, contact Senior Vice President of Global Markets Craig Willis.
ON THE TRACK American Ethanol Paint Out This Weekend at Martinsville Austin Dillon returns to the track in the American Ethanol No. 3 Chevy Camaro once again this weekend, where he will look to replicate his last stellar performance for American Ethanol. Earlier this month, Dillon deftly avoided multiple significant wrecks at the notorious Talladega Superspeedway to ultimately earn a 6th-place finish in the American Ethanol car.
This weekend, Dillon will be gunning for a checkered flag or top-five spot in the green and white American Ethanol No. 3 car at Martinsville Speedway. Stay tuned to the American Ethanol Twitter channel for coverage of the race. To watch, tune in to the NBC Sports Network on Sunday, October 27 at 3 p.m. Eastern time. For more details, contact Senior Manager of Communications Austin Dabney.
The Weekly Rundown is the weekly newsletter for Growth Energy's members. It is published weekly by the communications staff at Growth Energy. For more information, email team@growthenergy.org or visit our website GrowthEnergy.org. You're receiving this newsletter because you've subscribed to Growth Energy's The Weekly Rundown. Not interested anymore? Unsubscribe instantly. Copyright © 2019 Growth Energy. |