U-S senator Pete Ricketts of Nebraska hammered Micheal Regan, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency over the new, overreaching Waters of the United States, or WOTUS rule and the EPA’s failure to announce year-round E-15 for 2023.

Ricketts also pushed Regan on why the EPA failed to consider the perspective of farmers and ranchers as a part of the public comments used to develop the WOTUS rule.  In a second round of questioning, Senator Ricketts criticized Regan for failing to announce year-round E-15 for 2023.  Ricketts says, “Ethanol is something that will help consumers save money at the pump.  It helps clean up the environment, and then of course, it’s also great for our farmers and ranchers.  So, we asked to be able to sell E-15 all year round.  The Clean Air Act states that the administrators should publish the regulation resolving this action no later than 90 days after receipt or a notification from a governor.  Our renewable fuels industry and producers and refiners didn’t receive anything until March 1st, and this should have been done in July.  I want to know why it took more than the 90 days to respond.”  Senator Ricketts’ comments came during the questioning of Michael Regan, Administrator of the EPA during the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing on the EPA’s proposed fiscal year 2024 budget.