EPA's Pruitt Signals No Apparent Let Up In RFS Waivers

EPA has received some 30 requests from refiners for waivers of meeting requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), according to agency administrator Scott Pruitt.The agency received a batch of requests for exemptions for RFS requirements this year, Pruitt told lawmakers, after having received a wave of those requests from small refiners last year.The waivers have become a source of contention in the US biofuel industry, with refiners welcoming the actions and citing the costs to the industry from trying to meet the requirements. But biofuel proponents have complained about the waivers as the numbers approved by EPA have grown considerably compared to what historically has been the level of waivers granted each year. And biofuel backers note the requests are coming even as refiners are reporting hefty to record profits.