Secret EPA ‘Hardship’ Waivers for Multibillion Dollar Oil Companies Threaten to Break Trump Pledge to Support Biofuels

WASHINGTON – In response to a January letter sent by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Thune (R-S.D.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), EPA again confirmed that oil refiners aren’t negatively impacted by compliance with the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), stating that it stood by its previous conclusion that “all obligated parties, including merchant refiners, are generally able to recover the cost of the RINs they need for compliance with the RFS obligations through the cost of the gasoline and diesel fuel they produce.”

Renewable Identification Number (RIN) credits were created as a voluntary alternative compliance mechanism for refineries that choose not to blend biofuels as required by law since 2006. In its response, EPA also reiterated that the agency led by Administrator Pruitt “was not persuaded by arguments that merchant refiners are put at a distinct disadvantage when compared to integrated refiners.”