EPA said to be considering more Biofuels exemptions for small refinery operators

The Environmental Protection Agency apparently isn’t finished with exemptions from the Renewable Fuel Standard for small refiners in Oklahoma and other states.

Months after recently-resigned EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt tripled the number of exemptions to the small refiners, the EPA is now reported to be considering whether to give them partial exemptions.

Politico’s Morning Energy reported this week the move would allow refiners to shed part of their requirements to blend ethanol with gasoline.

“This issue is the subject of ongoing discussions,” said Michael Abboud, a spokesman for the EPA.

The EPA indicated exemptions representing 2.25 million gallons worth of biofuel were granted for 2017 and 2016.  That included waivers covering 1.46 million compliancecredits called RIN’s in 2017.

Under Pruitt’s direction, the EPA dumped a plan that would have forced refiners to blend more biofuels into their gasoline and diesel in 2019. The move angered corn producers in the midwest.

The original plan would have increased the renewable fuel blending obligation for the refiners to 11.76 percent from 10.88 percent to offset volumes lost under the waiver program.