WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), issued the following statement on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed renewable fuel volume obligations for 2019. EPA is required to finalize these obligations by November 30, 2018.

“I applaud Administrator Pruitt for rejecting efforts to undermine the ability of small refineries to obtain hardship relief under the Renewable Fuel Standard,” said Barrasso. “EPA made the right decision to follow the law, which explicitly allows small refineries to apply for hardship relief ‘at any time.’ EPA also made the right decision not to transfer the burden of small refineries to other refineries. Today, the agency has taken a positive step to protect American workers and reduce the way this broken program distorts the fuel market.”

Background Information:

The EPW Committee has jurisdiction over the Renewable Fuel Standard.

On April 24, 2018, Barrasso and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), chair of the EPW Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety, sent a letter to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and Energy Sec. Rick Perry calling on them to protect the confidential business information of America’s small refineries.

On April 12, 2018, Barrasso released a statement on the necessity and importance of EPA granting hardship relief for small refineries under the Renewable Fuel Standard.

On March 5, 2018, Barrasso and Capito sent a letter to Administrator Pruitt and Energy Sec. Perry emphasizing the importance of granting hardship relief for America’s small refineries. The letter also reminded the administrator and the secretary that small refineries submit confidential business and other highly sensitive information that the agencies and their contractors must protect from all outside parties.

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