EPA's failure to provide triennial reports to Congress on the environmental impacts of biofuels comes at a time of bipartisan interest in determining whether the RFS is working, the report said. "The EPA, Congress and other stakeholders lack key information on biofuel impacts needed to make science-based decisions about RFS," the OIG said.
The report singled out EPA’s Office of Research and Development for failing to comply with a requirement to provide a report every three years to Congress on the impacts of biofuels. EPA provided such a report to Congress in 2011, but has not provided a report since.
Also, EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation has not met "anti- backsliding" requirements for the RFS, which analyze and address any negative air quality impacts associated with the program, the OIG said.
"The EPA does not have an assessment that meets the requirement to identify whether RFS creates any impacts on air quality and, thus, take required measures to mitigate impacts," according to the report. "This information is needed to fully inform the EPA, Congress and other stakeholders of the environmental impacts of US biofuel policy."