Market News & Headlines >> Lawmakers Urge EPA Not to Exempt Refiners from RFS Obligations

A group of 15 Democratic U.S. lawmakers sent a letter on Wednesday to the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Economic Council urging rejection of any action that would exempt oil refiners from biofuels blending obligations under the federal renewable fuels standard.

“We urge you to reject any actions under discussion to exempt oil refiners of their obligations under the RFS and uphold your commitment to combatting climate change and supporting our nation’s farmers,” the lawmakers said.

The letter came in the wake of a report from Reuters News Service last week that said President Joe Biden's administration, under pressure from labor unions and U.S. senators, including from his home state of Delaware, was considering ways to provide relief to U.S. oil refiners from the mandates.

In the letter, the lawmakers asked the EPA instead to “swiftly issue a proposed rule for Renewable Volume Blending obligations for 2021 and 2022 with strong blending targets". The lawmakers also asked the agency to respond to a 2017 federal court remand to reinstate 500 million gallons of blending requirements “inappropriately waived” from 2016 blending targets.