Posted on 08/07/2008 9:29:58 PM PDT by smokingfrog
HOUSTON, Aug. 7 -- The US Environmental Protection Agency has denied a request submitted by Texas Gov. Rick Perry for a 50% waiver from the federal renewable fuel standard (RFS) mandate for corn-based ethanol.
The RFS, part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, requires increased national production of renewable biofuels to 36 billion gal/year by 2022 from 9 billion gal/year in 2008.
Perry blamed increased demand for corn-based ethanol for contributing to escalating corn prices, which he said contributes to higher food prices and also higher costs for livestock feed (OGJ Online, July 22, 2008).
EPA said it recognized that high commodity prices have economic impacts but that an extensive analysis found no compelling evidence that the RFS mandate is causing severe economic harm during the time period specified by Texas.
Current law authorizes EPA to waive the national RFS if the agency determines that the mandated biofuel volumes would cause "severe harm" to the economy or the environment.
"After reviewing the facts, it was clear this request did not meet the criteria in the law," EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson said during a conference call with reporters from Washington, DC, on Aug. 7.
EPA conducted detailed analysis, consulted closely with the Departments of Energy and Agriculture, and considered more than 15,000 public comments. This was the first RFS-related waiver request.
Ethanol Fraud BTTT
Perry did something I agree with? Pigs are flyin’ again.
"We are extremely disappointed by the EPA's announcement that it has rejected Texas Governor Rick Perry's request for a partial waiver of the 2008 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The RFS has caused feed ingredient prices to spiral out of control, inflicting extreme economic damage on food companies, and ultimately, on consumers, in the form of increased food costs.
"We expect our company's feed-ingredient costs for fiscal 2008 will increase $900 million from last fiscal year as a result of the U.S. government's failed ethanol policy. It's apparent that the government intends to blindly pursue this misguided and destructive policy despite reams of data demonstrating its negative impact on the environment, food prices, and world hunger.
"Not only are the 2008 mandates destructive, but the scheduled mandate next year will again increase another 16.7% from corn, consuming an additional 4.5% or more of the 2009-2010 corn crop than the anticipated 34% of the crop being consumed this year for ethanol production.
"While we are disappointed by our government's failure to enact a responsible and comprehensive energy policy that does not pit food against fuel, we are grateful to Gov. Perry for his leadership on this issue of national importance."
I think this is not that important. Even if they are different, they compete for the same arable land and for the same water and for the same labor to grow.
In other words, if the farmer grows "fuel corn" instead of the "food corn" you will still be without food corn, one way or another.
We need an ethanol revolt in this country!
There is a shortage because regardless of what type of corn they grow for ethanol they still take up farm land that would normally be growing food corn. If a farmer, for instance, has 200 acres he puts into corn and decides to grow ethanol instead then that is 200 acres of corn not produced for human consumption of cattle consumption as the case may be. There is a finite amount of land for growing food, you can’t grow fuel on the land and expect not to lose production on the food corn.
The liberals just gave you a spanking for your audacity to not dance to there tune Governor. Remember the Alamo. I was raised in NH. I will remember my State’s slogan of ‘Live Free or Die’. Too bad NH as a whole has become Massachusetts light in the judicial system. Guess we have some work to do :)
He should just ignore the EPA, as should all duly elected state officials.
Bread, when wheat was less than 2 dollars a bushel a loaf was 50 cents. Wheat is less than 4 dollars a bushel and a loaf is 2.50. You do the math.
Am I the only one who was unaware that they were soliciting comments?
Being the typical Freeper skeptic of all things EPA, I might even suggests that they solicited comments from employees of Archer Daniels,Green Peace, and everyone living in San Francisco.
Well, there goes the price of everything edible--up, up, and away.
I grew up on a farm and I know there is a difference between what we called “field corn” and “sweet corn”. The corn you find in conveniently sized cans in the grocery store is sweet corn. The corn that makes tortillas, corn chips, high fructose corn syrup, etc. is mostly the same stuff.
IIRC, my dad would plant different hybrids of corn for different uses. I believe the high lysine corn for the pigs, and a different variety for the cattle. What was left over from filling the grain bins and silos was sold. Once sold it went to the highest bidder, if not already sold on contract.
So, there is sweet corn and “field corn”, oh, and popcorn. For the most part the same corn used to feed cattle is used to make corn flakes.
The raising of corn for fuel is hurting food prices here and across the world. It is manufactured except in the sense the government has overstepped its powers, as it has in many cases over the last 60 years. We need to put energy production, and all business, back into the hands of the people where it belongs. The frickin' government needs to get out of our private lives and stick to the things the constitution limits them to. Please don't bother sending any more crap about corn, excess etc, etc.
Texas corn burned up in the drought this year. That means that Texas, with more miles driven each year than any other state because of our far-flung geography, will be forced to compete on the open market for ethanol, thus driving up the price of corn and affecting the food bill of every family in the USA.
Texas has oil revenue, and can afford this idiocy, but the other states do not. The EPA just caused your family’s food bill to go up with their high-handed decision. The EPA, which poisoned the ground water in many states by mandating the gasoline additive MBTE, is now implementing an equally destructive law that your congressman should change. Contact that bozo who voted for the ethanol law, conjured up by Marxist enviro-nazis, possible.
I don’t recall anyone electing the EPA. The EPA is nothing more than unelected bureaucrats making law without the consent of the people. It’s a dictatorship. Only congress, elected by the peoiple via the ballot box, can write law. The governor should tell the EPA fascists to stick it in their ear. What are they going to do? Send a battalion of New York metrosexuals to hit Texans over the head with their purses?
It’s time to stand up to the criminal fascist syndicate occupying Washington.
Wasn’t it Newt back in the 90s that tried to abolish the Energy Dept and the EPA?
Useless bastards, and Bush should have shown control over them. Lack of control of his own people is one of Bush’s worst legacies.
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