Contact: Cassidy Walter
515-252-6249

“Unnecessary and Ridiculous” E15 Restrictions Begin June 1^st

JOHNSTON, IOWA – Today fuel retailers offering E15 in 11 states sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking him to immediately instruct the EPA to follow through on his pledge to allow year-round sales of E15 before summer restrictions begin on June 1^st.

The summertime E15 restrictions, which President Trump has called “unnecessary and ridiculous,” restrict retailers to offering E15 to only flex-fuel vehicles during the summer fuel season that ends September 15^th. Without action by President Trump, the retailers fear “another summer of lost opportunity.”

“Therefore it is imperative that you direct the EPA to immediately begin the rule-making process necessary to turn your pledge into reality. Without regulatory relief, on June 1st we will see our E15 sales plummet and consumers forced to pay more for fuel than they should,” the retailers said in the letter.

Recognizing the slow nature of an EPA rulemaking, the retailers added: “We further implore you to direct the EPA to use its enforcement discretion to allow summertime E15 sales if the E15 restrictions are not formally removed by June 1^st. The purpose of the Clean Air Act is to reduce emissions. E15 reduces emissions. Nothing could be more justified than ending the arbitrary summertime E15 ban.”

The retailers also emphasized the millions of dollars their companies have invested in infrastructure to blend biofuels and obtain RINs. RIN prices have gone down by two-thirds this year and the retailers attribute this to “questionable and secretive” EPA small refinery exemptions to the Renewable Fuel Standard.

“These actions by the EPA have undercut the return on our investments,” the retailers wrote. “Being allowed to sell E15 year-round would help take some of the economic pain out of the unexpected collapse of RIN values.”

To view the complete letter sent to Trump today, click here.

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association represents the state’s liquid renewable fuels industry and works to foster its growth. Iowa is the nation’s leader in renewable fuels production with 43 ethanol refineries capable of producing nearly 4.4 billion gallons annually – including approximately 55 million gallons of annual cellulosic ethanol production capacity – and 12 biodiesel facilities with the capacity to produce 400 million gallons annually. For more information, visit the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association website at: www.IowaRFA.org.

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