ICGA STATEMENT REGARDING U.S. EPA'S CLIMATE CHANGE PLAN

Tricia Braid

Jun 05, 2014  |  ICGA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                

CONTACT: Tricia Braid
                  (309) 557-3257

 

BLOOMINGTON, Ill.— Illinois Corn Growers Association President Gary Hudson, a family farmer from Hindsboro, IL, released the following statement in response to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy’s plans on climate change policies.

“When Administrator McCarthy made her announcement earlier this week regarding greenhouse gas emission reductions, it really made us at the Illinois Corn Growers Association whip our head around to make sure we heard correctly. The same EPA that plans to reduce the corn ethanol requirement in the Renewable Fuel Standard is now saying that they’re interested in reducing greenhouse gas emissions? That just doesn’t make sense.

The EPA’s plan to reduce the volumetric requirements for corn-based ethanol from 14.1 billion gallons to 13.01 billion gallons is the equivalent of pumping 4.25 million metric tons of greenhouse gas right back into the atmosphere. This is double-talk if I’ve ever heard it. Basically, the EPA is rubber stamping an increase in CO2 emissions, the exact opposite of the Administrator’s stated goal.

Administrator McCarthy claimed earlier this week in her announcement of the Clean Power Plan, ‘…we set historic fuel efficiency standards that will double the distance our cars go on a gallon of gas.’ Well those cars better go farther on a gallon of gas because that gas will be dirtier than ever, Administrator McCarthy.

I just can’t figure out how the EPA’s plan to reduce CO2 emissions includes reducing the volume of ethanol in our gasoline. The choice is clear. Or at least it should be. The plan to reduce the RFS corn ethanol volume would be like putting an additional 900,000 cars on the road, all pumping out CO2.

Leave the corn-ethanol component of the RFS alone. It is the right environmental choice for America.”

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