WASHINGTON, D.C. - Last Wednesday, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) chaired a House Oversight Subcommittee on the Interior hearing which examined the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) management of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program. A portion of his opening speech is listed below:
Click the picture above to watch Congressman Gosar’s opening statements.
Last Wednesday, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) chaired a House Oversight Subcommittee on the Interior hearing which examined the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) management of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program. A portion of his opening speech is listed below:
“The implementation of the RFS has also created some unintended and adverse consequences. The rapid expansion of biofuel production using corn has caused an increase in food prices, which in turn hurts the poorest and most vulnerable in society, both at home and abroad. Furthermore, some studies have shown that current ethanol production may actually contribute to higher greenhouse gas emissions.
“Accordingly, in a 2011 National Academy of Science study, EPA’s own emissions analysts found corn ethanol to have a higher life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions than that of gasoline. This is in direct contrast with the original RFS goal of improving air quality. These are just some of the problems that must be addressed as we examine the effectiveness and viability of the RFS as a program.”
Background:
Congressman Gosar opposes arbitrary mandates that increase food prices. He supports the free market and is a cosponsor of H.R. 703, the Renewable Fuel Standard Elimination Act.
(Courtesy of the House Oversight Committee)
The RFS dictates that a specific amount of renewable fuel must be mixed into transportation fuel sold in the United States. Ethanol is the most common ingredient blended in order to comply with RFS.
Due to delays in issuing annual blending mandates, EPA must issue retroactive mandates.
On November 30, 2015, EPA released the final renewal fuel volume obligations for the years 2014, 2015, 2016 simultaneously.
For 2014, the total volume of renewable fuel blended into the national supply was 16.28 billion gallons.
The final mandate for 2015 was 16.93 billion gallons, and 18.11 billion gallons for 2016.
