Rep. Donald Payne, Jr.: Don't weaken the RFS
By Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (R-N.J.), via The Hill.
For over a century, we have seen fossil fuels pollute our environment, damage our climate, and spew toxic chemicals into the air we breathe. Unfortunately, our most vulnerable communities are hit the hardest from this pollution. Poor air quality affects urban areas and communities of color disproportionately.
To combat the problem, Congress created America’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in 2005. The RFS is Congress’s answer to lowering greenhouse gas emissions and expanding the nation’s renewable fuels sector while reducing reliance on imported oil. The RFS is the most successful law on the books that cuts greenhouse gas emissions and pollution. In fact, studies have shown that higher renewable fuel blends reduce asthma- and cancer-causing emissions by 6.6 percent compared to regular gasoline.