Toomey to EPA: Follow the Law,Reduce Damaging Ethanol Requirements

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) announced today his latest effort to protect consumers and employers from wasteful mandates that drive up the price of food and gasoline. Sen. Toomey is calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to lessen the renewable fuel standard (RFS) that refiners must meet when manufacturing gasoline – and to do so in a timely manner.

According to federal law, every November, the EPA must announce a sensible RFS mandate for the upcoming calendar year. Unfortunately, the EPA failed to meet this responsibility last year when it ignored the deadline and increased the RFS mandate on gasoline manufacturers. This lead to increased compliance costs for many Pennsylvania employers, including refineries located in Southeast Pa.

“The EPA’s failure to follow the law last year put many family-sustaining jobs in Southeast Pa. in jeopardy. I urge the EPA to follow federal law and announce the RFS for 2014 in a timely manner,” said Sen. Toomey. “Additionally, I encourage the EPA to establish standards that ease unnecessary burdens on employers and consumers across Pennsylvania. The RFS requires fuel suppliers to blend millions of gallons of biofuels -- most often corn ethanol -- into the nation's gasoline supplies. It drives up gas prices, increases food costs, damages car engines, and is harmful to the environment. This Washington mandate is anything but sensible.”

Sen. Toomey supports repealing the RFS.

The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947