Agriculture secretary Sonny Perdue says Trump will take action on ethanol waivers
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue says President Trump will take action to soften the effects of oil refinery exceptions for blending corn-based ethanol in motor fuel. Perdue, speaking to farmers and agribusiness leaders Wednesday in Decatur, Illinois, called it "disappointing" that Mr. Trump's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted the waivers.
They came after the president allowed for year-round sales of 15% ethanol blend in fuel. That's up from the more common 10% blend and a summertime ban on sales of the 15% fuel because of more smog produced by higher concentrations of ethanol. The EPA earlier this month issued dozens of waivers to oil refineries, exempting them for meeting requirements for blending ethanol in fuel.
Perdue would not say what action the president will take but that Mr. Trump believes the EPA waivers were "way overdone." Ethanol advocates contend that oil refinery waivers have reduced ethanol production by 2.6 billion gallons since Mr. Trump took office.
Perdue and Mr. Trump spoke by phone on Wednesday, according to White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham.
Mr. Trump insists he's great for farmers, even as his trade war with China unsettles an already unstable sector of the economy. The New York Times reported earlier this week that Perdue took a jab at farmers for complaining about the president's trade war during a townhall-style event this month.
Asked about backlash the administration is facing from some farmers over ethanol waivers, shortly before Perdue spoke in Illinois, the EPA said the agency would continue discussions and achieve wins for the agriculture and energy sectors.
"EPA will continue to consult with our federal partners on the best path forward to ensure stability in the Renewable Fuel Standard," EPA spokesperson Michael Abboud said. "The Trump administration has overseen year-over-year increases in domestic fuel ethanol production, to the highest level in history and the United States exported a record volume of ethanol in 2018 for the second consecutive year. The president will always seek to engage with stakeholders to achieve wins for the agriculture and energy sectors."