Posted on 10/04/2019 9:25:55 AM PDT by jazusamo
The Trump administration unveiled a fuel proposal Friday that would buoy corn farmers and ethanol producers while alienating the nation’s oil industry.
The proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would require oil refineries to blend more ethanol into gasoline, a minimum of 15 billion gallons of each year.
The rollout marks the latest twist in a months-long feud between two groups viewed by President Trump as key supporters in his base: farmers and the oil and gas industry.
“Once again the president has demonstrated he’s a champion for our nation’s farmers and for rural America,” a senior EPA official said Friday on a call with reporters, characterizing attempts to please both farmers and the oil industry as a “difficult issue.”
The concessions in the proposal go beyond what farmers had asked of the president but omit one key component -- there is no requirement to blend ethanol produced this year that was set aside when Trump exempted 31 small refineries from adding ethanol to their fuel product.
The decision to issue those waivers in August, following a promise by Trump to reevaluate the program, sparked backlash from corn farmers who had already been hit hard by Trump’s trade war with China.
Farm groups have been putting steady pressure on the White House for months to revise the program, and Friday’s announcement largely appeased them.
“Corn farmers weren’t shy in telling the President that the impact of these waivers would lead to significant consequences for farmers, folks working at ethanol and biodiesel plants, and the countless other rural jobs that depend on this market. The President is finally telling the EPA that enough is enough, they must follow the law, and we appreciate that,” Kevin Ross, president of the National Corn Growers Association, said in a statement.
Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) was among the lawmakers from corn-producing states who issued statements Friday praising the proposal.
But the oil industry appeared just as unhappy as farmers were elated.
“Let’s not sugar coat it, ethanol mandates are being raised because a handful of corn-state senators have extorted it from the president using election year politics,” LeAnn Johnson with the Small Refiners Coalition said in a statement.
Corn pop. Not corn fuel.
PDJT administration on the WRONG side of this one.
NOT THE SAME CORN
Why? Cleaner fuel....
Eat corn or feed it to livestock. Burn fossil fuel.
He’s wrong on LGBT also, but I’m still voting for him. I don’t want to eat babies. There is a BIG difference in Republican and Democrat.
Ewww. Not more foreign shit in our gas, please!
For the really scary bit on E15, see the 7th paragraph.
Dammit, Mr. President...
Oh, now all the FReeper experts gonna dump on Trump because he’s “wrong”. He knows more than you do!
No question Corn Pop is a ‘bad’ dude (as per ‘badder dude’ Joe Biden).
Wonder which correctional facility he resides in now ?
Alas, corn farmers of today lack the business sense of yesterday’s model.
I agree, no one else even comes close to him and he’s right on nearly everything.
But when he’said wrong, he picks a honey...
Sigh.
He knows he needs the farm vote.
Yhis is a useless subsidy that should be phased out.
The farmers should form a co-op to make that instead of a fuel additive.
Didn’t post this to dump on him and you’re right about him knowing more than the vast numbers here.
You are wrong Sherlock.
Even the envirofascists acknowledge that ethanol is worthless and bad for the planet.
BUT...these farmers also play the stock market according to my dear farmer friend.
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