The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted three waivers to oil refiners that exempt them from US biofuel blending obligations.
The agency granted two waivers for the 2019 compliance year and one waiver for the 2018 compliance year. Some 30 waiver requests remain outstanding for 2019 and 15 for 2020.
The three waivers were granted to oil refiners, but it was not clear which refiners received the exemptions.
Under the US Renewable Fuel Standard, refiners are required to blend billions of gallons of biofuels into their fuel mix, or buy credits from those that do. Refiners can apply for an exemption if they can prove the requirements would do them financial harm.
Biofuel producers and farmers say the waivers hurt demand for their products, while oil refiners reject that claim and say they are necessary to keep small refiners afloat.
The agency also said it was proposing to further extend the deadlines for oil refiners to prove compliance with blending requirements for both the 2019 and 2020 years. For more information visit www.epa.gov
