Scanlon Reacts to EPA’s Finalized Blending Requirements for 2020-2022
Chester, PA,
June 3, 2022
Chester, PA – Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) today addressed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s newly announced changes to ethanol blending mandates. Under the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), oil refiners are required to blend renewable fuels into transportation fuel or buy tradable credits from those that do in order to meet an EPA-specified Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO). Monroe Energy Refinery, a producer of aviation fuel located in Trainer, PA and owned by Delta Airlines, has expressed concern in the past about its ability to purchase such credits, called “Renewable Identification Numbers” or RINs if the RVO increases. Scanlon issued the following statement: “My team and I have been working with the United Steel Workers at the Monroe Energy Refinery to push the administration for flexibility in the Renewable Fuel Standard’s RINs requirement in order to address concerns about its impact on the aviation fuel refinery located in our district. While I fully support the use of biofuels as one of many measures we need to implement in order to decrease America’s reliance on fossil fuels, I recognize that some activities — such as air travel — will require the continued use of oil for the foreseeable future. I am also keenly aware that energy producers like Monroe support thousands of good-paying, union jobs in our region. “Instability in the price of RINs has created uncertainty for many smaller refiners, which is why I’ve repeatedly urged both the White House and the EPA to provide greater flexibility to Monroe Energy in meeting its RFS requirements and to intervene to provide more certainty to RINs market pricing. Over the course of the past year, my team and I have advocated directly in calls and meetings with the Biden administration and submitted multiple letters and public comments to the EPA and White House on the need for reforms to the program. I am pleased the finalized RVO requirements, while reflecting slight increases necessitated by recent court decisions and actions of the Trump administration, provide certainty for the Monroe Energy Refinery, and that the EPA has heeded our calls for flexibility to come into compliance with previous years’ requirements. “I look forward to continuing to work with the administration to ensure that as the United States transitions to clean energy, the interests of our community and those who work here are represented.” ### |
