Durbin Statement On EPA Decision To Deny Small Refinery Exemptions Under Renewable Fuel Standard

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today issued the following statement after an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decision to deny small refinery exemptions under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS):

“For years, President Trump has crippled American biofuels by allowing a record number of waivers for oil companies. His decisions have dragged Illinois farm income down, damaged an important corn market, and caused the closure or idling of countless ethanol and biodiesel plants. The President’s latest decision cannot undo the damage he’s done. It is blatantly political.”

Durbin and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) have introduced a bipartisan bill with Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) that would require EPA transparency with small refinery hardship waivers.