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Minnesota Farmers Union Discouraged by Proposed RFS Targets
Minnesota Ag Connection - 05/24/2016

Minnesota Farmer Union (MFU) said in a statement Monday that it is discouraged in viewing the proposal that was released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on its Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The proposal of the RFS renewable volume obligations (RVO) for 2017, are at 18.8 billion gallons: 4 billion blended gallons of advanced biofuels (like biodiesel) and 14.8 billion gallons of conventional biofuels (like ethanol), into ours nation's fuel supply, which falls more than 5 billion gallons.

"The EPA has undermined the RFS once again. They fell significantly short of the statute with their proposed volume obligations, and we are deeply disappointed and amazed as to the administrations disregard for sound renewable fuel policy." stated MFU President Doug Peterson, "Family farmers have a deep relationship with the environment and the Earth; they understand fully the impacts that climate change has on our planet, and how this affects their ability to feed the growing population of the world."

"The investments that have been made in renewable fuels and advanced biofuels have helped bridge a divide between where we are now with our environment and where we would like to be keeping in mind that the goals are impossible to reach without the work of family farmers and ranchers. The lack of support from the EPA for family farmers and ranchers with a proposal such as this one; makes the economic distress that family farmers and ranchers feel stronger, a distress that Big Oil is not feeling."

The RFS was created nearly a decade ago as a method to expand our country's energy portfolio by requiring that gasoline is blended with renewable fuels like ethanol and biodiesel. The proposed standard for 2017 fall short of the levels that were set by Congress nearly 10 years ago and this is concerning to many, including farm organizations, legislative leaders and family farmers alike.

The final RFS levels for 2017 will be announced later this year. Minnesota Farmers Union, along with others, will be urging congress to continue working to improve the proposed numbers, and return the volume obligations to their statutory level in the final rule.


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