EPA's Wheeler Short on Specifics on Biofuels in Iowa Appearance

More "certainty" was the buzzword for acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler in his visit to the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines this week, but he offered few specific details on how to deliver that, particularly on the issue of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).Standing alongside Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Wheeler said the agency was going to come with a new proposal relative to the Waters of the US (WOTUS) rule "within the next 60 days." The certainty there, he said, would come with farmers not having to hire an attorney to understand what is and is not a wetland. Farmers will be able to "understand the law better to make their decisions."On the RFS, Wheeler said it was an "important program, not just for the state of Iowa, but the entire country." Noting the Trump administration has made decisions on the Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) on time each year, Wheeler said, "that provides more certainty to the biofuels producers, American consumers and we're going to continue that." With Reynolds standing by him and nodding, Wheeler said the agency is "looking at the small refiner exemption ... and trying to provide more certainty around that."He also said EPA is looking at the Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) situation which is a key on being able to sell E15 year-round, saying they are looking "what we can do." But he told the Sioux City Journal and the Des Moines Register in interviews that he wanted to make sure the agency had the legal authority to allow the year-round E15 sales.As for the small refiner waivers, Wheeler told the papers, “I know that’s been a point of contention. I want to provide more transparency about how we make those decisions.”