The American Frozen Food Institute has urged the EPA to enact its proposal to slash mandated corn ethanol production by 1.4 billion gallons in 2014 while the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) is warning the agency that the Renewable Fuel Standard proposal will hurt the biofuels industry.
At the EPA’s hearing yesterday for the 2014 RFS , the AFFI along with other food and beverage groups said corn and soybeans are critical ingredients in a range of frozen foods. AFFI vice president of government affairs Kristin Wilcox warned that a failure by the EPA to implement its proposed reductions would raise cost and prices for food makers and shoppers. “Food-based commodities should be used to fuel bodies, not vehicle engines,” she said.
On the other side of the argument, BIO testified that that commercial development of advanced and cellulosic biofuels, as well as other biotechnology applications, could come to a halt if the EPA’s proposal becomes policy.
Also this week Delta Air Lines joined oil industry trade groups in fighting the US biofuel mandate. Through its refinery unit, Monroe Energy, Delta has filed a lawsuit in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit challenging the EPA’s 2013 renewable fuel requirements.
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