Last week the Environmental Protection Agency released annual data on small refinery exemptions to the Renewable Fuels Standard. Renewable Fuels Association Executive Vice President Geoff Cooper says while it’s a good initial step, more specific information is needed.

He says the details of the refinery exemptions should also be made available to the public to improve transparency.

Cooper says the information released by the EPA proves there was ethanol demand destruction caused by those refiner waivers.

Cooper says the EPA data also shows that from 2013 to 2015 about half of the small refiner petitions for RFS waivers were rejected. Meanwhile, in 2016 and 2017 none of those petitions were denied and 49 waivers were granted totaling 2.25 billion gallons of biofuels.