Last week National Corn Grower members gathered in the nation’s capital for their Corn Congress and heard from EPA on the delay of their decision for the RFS volume requirements. South Dakota Corn Growers President Keith Alverson who serves on the NCGA board says they heard from Deputy EPA Administrator Bob Perciaseppe who told them they are behind in issuing the requirements. Alverson says the main reason is EPA has 353,000 comments to go through.
Corn Growers want EPA to raise the RFS volume requirements from what they earlier proposed. Meanwhile the Environmental Working Group wants EPA to follow their proposal because they believe it will have a positive effect on greenhouse gas emissions. Alverson says that doesn’t make sense as corn ethanol is beneficial for the environment and higher volumes would help it.
Despite EPA’s wish to get through the comments and issue a final ruling, there’s been no indication on when that may be.