Wyoming Senators Ask Department of Energy to Clarify Small Refinery Exemptions

Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Agency/Executive Branch, Federal Regulation, Opinions, Policy, Wyoming

March 9, 2023

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by Mary Stroka (County 17) Wyoming’s U.S. Senators, Cynthia Lummis and John Barrasso, joined eight Senate Republican colleagues in asking Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm to explain the department’s process for vetting and approving Wyoming’s small refinery exemptions to the renewable fuel standard.

According to a news release from Lummis’ office, the letter reads: “On November 3, 2022, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report titled, ‘Renewable Fuel Standard: Actions Needed to Improve Decision-Making in the Small Refinery Exemption Program.’ This GAO report examined the policies and procedures of both the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for small refinery exemption decisions. Given the shortcomings identified in that GAO report, we write to express our strong concerns regarding the DOE’s role in scoring petitions filed under the small refinery exemption program in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and to inquire about the steps DOE plans to take to remedy these shortcomings.”

Lummis said EPA Administrator Michael Reagan’s doubled down on EPA actions against Wyoming’s small refineries despite the GAO report and repeated requests for reconsiderations regarding exemptions to the renewable fuel standard. READ MORE

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