News release

MFU applauds federal court decision that SREs were improper

Jan. 28, 2020

Over the weekend, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit announced its ruling that three of the small refinery exemptions (SREs) granted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were “improvidently granted.”

SREs granted to Holly Frontier, Cheyenne and Wynewood refineries were at stake in the ruling. The exemptions were challenged by a coalition including National Farmers Union (NFU), National Corn Growers Association, Renewable Fuels Association and the American Coalition for Ethanol.

Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU), a grassroots farm organization part of NFU and a strong advocate for the state’s biofuels industry hit hard by SREs, is pleased with the court’s ruling.

“Farmers Union elected to challenge the EPA on this because SREs hurt the prices farmers earn for their products,” MFU President Gary Wertish said. “On behalf of our members, I applaud this decision from the Tenth Circuit Court. The rate at which SREs have been granted by the Trump administration EPA has been harmful to family farmers, as they’ve lost billions of gallons of demand for ethanol.

“Homegrown biofuel markets not only support farmers’ income, but provide savings to consumers at the pump and burn cleaner than petroleum gasoline. We call on the administration and Congress to do even more to increase biofuel use in the U.S. and stop these unnecessary SREs.”

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Minnesota Farmers Union—Standing for Agriculture, Working for Farmers (www.mfu.org)

News release

MFU applauds federal court decision that SREs were improper

Jan. 28, 2020

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