{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=ECDE13CD-238F-4C5B-B75A-C218601890A9", "Heitkamp Statement on Final Renewable Fuel Standard", "2016-11-23", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "ND", "Heidi Heitkamp", "H001069", "www.heitkamp.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "MANDAN, N.D. \u2013 U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today issued the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released final 2017 renewable volume obligations (RVOs) for ethanol and advanced biofuels, and 2018 RVOs for biodiesel under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).\r\nAfter the EPA released its proposed RVOs in May, Heitkamp called on the Administration to set more ambitious targets, as the law requires. She followed up on this call last month with Director of the Office of Management and Budget Shaun Donovan. Heitkamp also helped lead 40 senators in urging the Administration to increase biodiesel RVOs to encourage continued industry growth and diversity in the nation\u2019s energy supply.\r\n\u201cFollowing repeated calls and pressure on the EPA to set strong blend levels, today\u2019s announcement that the statutory level for corn ethanol is met is good news for North Dakota farmers and biofuels workers,\u201d said Heitkamp. \u201cAmbitious blend levels are critical to supporting North Dakota\u2019s biofuels industry because it supports good-paying jobs, increases our energy security, and creates clean, reliable fuel. While this announcement is a win for North Dakota farmers and biofuels workers, I\u2019ll continue to push the EPA to live up to its legal obligation, as set out by Congress, by pushing for more ambitious blend levels.\u201d\r\nThe EPA is required by law to set fuel blending levels annually so biodiesel and ethanol producers can plan for the future, but the agency failed to do so for years.\r\nHeitkamp led the charge in the Senate to successfully push the EPA to set timely RVOs in 2015 for the first time in years. When the RVOs released in May 2015 were lower than levels needed to comply with law and promote the ethanol and biofuels industries, Heitkamp led a bipartisan group of 36 Senators in calling on the EPA to increase the RVOs, and joined a bipartisan group of more than 40 Senators to put pressure on the EPA for strong ethanol blend levels in June 2016. As Heitkamp requested, the EPA increased its targets when it released its final RVOs in late November, though the RVOs were still not strong enough to comply with the law or provide solid support for biofuels production.\r\nHeitkamp has been a vocal advocate for biodiesel and ethanol \u2013 industries that support over 400,000 American jobs, including many in North Dakota, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to petroleum diesel.\r\nHeitkamp has fought for the EPA to provide certainty to farmers and biofuels workers, and has continually pressed the agency to issue a strong RFS rule. As part of those efforts, she has:\r\n\r\n \r\nCalled for the EPA to prioritize American biodiesel: In January 2015, Heitkamp called out the EPA for prioritizing the import of biodiesel from abroad over biodiesel from American producers \u2013 including those in North Dakota. Prioritizing foreign biodiesel hurts farmers, industry jobs, and rural communities. She reinforced that layoffs and plant closures in the biodiesel industry underscored the need for the EPA to provide certainty for biodiesel industry workers at home by setting production levels under the RFS. In October 2015, Heitkamp joined her colleagues in calling on EPA to follow Congressional intent when setting RVOs.\r\n \r\n \r\nBrought the EPA head to North Dakota to hear from farmers and producers: In February 2014, Heitkamp\u00a0brought EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy to North Dakota to hear firsthand from farmers and biofuels producers\u00a0about how the agency\u2019s 2013 proposal would reduce the effectiveness of the RFS and decrease the required amount of U.S.-produced biofuels. Heitkamp encouraged McCarthy to reverse the EPA\u2019s proposal and instead put forth a proposal that would promote investment in the next generation of biofuels, and support our economy and good jobs in rural North Dakota. In November 2014, the\u00a0agency heeded her call, delaying the implementation of the misguided new standards.\r\n \r\n###", 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://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=ECDE13CD-238F-4C5B-B75A-C218601890A9"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8818102069199085, "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"}