{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20131123004640/http://wolf.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=34&itemid=2329", "Wolf Joins Effort Urging EPA To Adjust Ethanol Mandate In Renewable Fuel Standard", "2013-10-31", "2013", "2013-10", "Republican", "House", "VA", "Frank Wolf", "W000672", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Contact: Jill Shatzen  \n\t(202) 225-5136\n\n\tWOLF JOINS EFFORT URGING EPA TO ADJUST ETHANOL MANDATE\n\tIN RENEWABLE FUEL STANDARD\n\n\t\u00a0\n\n\tWashington, D.C. (October 31, 2013) \u2013 Rep. Frank Wolf (VA-10th) today joined 168 bipartisan members of Congress in signing a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy urging her to adjust the ethanol mandate in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).\n\n\t\u201cDue to the dramatic expansion of corn ethanol, volatile corn prices have led to the conversion of millions of acres of sensitive wetlands and grasslands into production,\u201d according to the letter, organized by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (VA-6th).\u00a0 The letter also notes that there could be a potentially dangerous economic situation if the RFS is not adjusted to align with the gasoline market.\n\n\t\u201cPrompt action by the EPA can help to ease short supply concerns, prevent engine damage, save jobs across many U.S. industries, and keep families fed.\u201d\n\n\tThe full text of the letter is below.\n\n\tDear Administrator McCarthy:\n\t\u00a0\n\tNearly eight years ago, Congress approved the Energy Policy Act of 2005, establishing the first Renewable Fuel Standard (\u201cRFS\u201d).\u00a0 In 2007, Congress significantly expanded the 2005 law when it passed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which increased the mandate to 36 billion gallons of biofuels by 2022.\u00a0 Unfortunately, despite the best intentions of the RFS, its premise and structure were based on many assumptions that no longer reflect the current market conditions, and the imposition of the 2014 volumes now threatens to cause economic and environmental harm.\u00a0\u00a0 As Congress continues its bi-partisan work to address these concerns, we are writing to request that the EPA use its authority to adjust the 2014 RFS volumes. As you are aware, the U.S. corn market has been increasingly volatile since the expansion of the RFS in 2007.\u00a0 This reflects the reality that more than 40 percent of the corn crop now goes into ethanol production, a dramatic rise since the first ethanol mandates were put into place in 2005.\u00a0 While well intentioned, the rigid nature of the federal law has not allowed it to change as new realities emerge in the market place.\u00a0 Ethanol now consumes more corn than animal agriculture, a fact directly attributable to the federal mandate.\u00a0 Corn price volatility is just one example of the economic harm caused by the RFS. Due to the dramatic expansion of corn ethanol, volatile corn prices have led to the conversion of millions of acres of sensitive wetlands and grasslands into production. According to the EPA's analysis, the lifecycle emissions of corn ethanol in 2012 were higher than those of gasoline \u2013 and will be for years to come.\u00a0 Despite promised environmental benefits when the RFS was implemented, the National Academy of Sciences has noted that overall ethanol production and use lowers air and water quality. Perhaps the newest challenge is the imposition of the statutory requirement of 18.15 billion gallons of renewable fuels in 2014, of which approximately 14.4 billion gallons will be made up by corn ethanol.\u00a0 In particular, the combination of rising ethanol mandates and declining gasoline demand has exacerbated the onset of the E10 blendwall- the point at which the gasoline supply is saturated with the maximum amount of ethanol that current vehicles, engines, and infrastructure can safely accommodate.\u00a0 The EPA explicitly acknowledged this challenge in its final rule implementing the 2013 volumes\u2014\u201cEPA does not currently foresee a scenario in which the market could consume enough ethanol sold in blends greater than E10, and/or produce sufficient volumes of non-ethanol biofuels to meet the volumes of total renewable fuel and advanced biofuel as required by statute for 2014.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 We understand that the EPA signaled its intention to address these concerns in the 2014 rulemaking and commend the EPA\u2019s willingness to use the authority Congress granted to it when crafting the RFS. While the blendwall is a pressing issue, the federal government can help avoid a dangerous economic situation by adjusting the normally rigid Renewable Fuel Standard mandate down to align with gasoline market conditions and realities.\u00a0 We therefore urge the EPA to consider a fair and meaningful nationwide adjustment to the ethanol mandate in the Renewable Fuel Standard.\u00a0 Prompt action by the EPA can help to ease short supply concerns, prevent engine damage, save jobs across many U.S. industries, and keep families fed.\u00a0 We strongly urge you to exercise your authority and take the necessary steps to protect American consumers and the economy.\u00a0 Thank you for your immediate consideration of this request.\n\n\tSincerely, \n\n\t\u00a0\n\n\t\u00a0\n\n\tMembers of Congress", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://web.archive.org/web/20131123004640/http://wolf.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=34&itemid=2329"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4739502221345901, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}