EPA agrees to deadline for 2014, 2015 ethanol mandates

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  On Friday, April 10^th, the EPA set a November 30^th deadline to issue the 2014 and 2015 Renewable Fuel Standard mandates. The announcement comes as a settlement in a lawsuit filed by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM).  The two groups filed a lawsuit against the EPA in March for the agency’s continued failure to set a rule for the RFS. Today’s agreement is still subject to a 30-day public comment period and approval by a federal court.

The Renewable Fuel Standard requires that fuel refiners mix a certain volume of ethanol into gasoline and biodiesel into diesel each year. The EPA is legally obligated to set those volume mandates by November 30^th each year for the following year. In both 2013 and 2014 EPA failed to meet those deadlines.

Nicole Vasilaros, NMMA’s director of federal and legal affairs, says of the announcement, “ The EPA has failed time and time again to uphold their obligation to lead the way in implementing the RFS by setting annual ethanol mandates. The agency is grossly behind its deadlines further proving that it is Congress who must act to reform the broken RFS. A failure to reform this law will result in additional damage to marine engines, costly repairs and additional risk during an important time of economic recovery and growth for the recreational boating industry.”

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