Peterson Comments on Obama Administration Biofuels Announcement

WASHINGTON, DC. - Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin C. Peterson (MN) issued the following statement on Renewable Fuel Standard regulations announced by the Obama Administration today.

"Typical of most decisions made in Washington, there is some good and some bad in the Renewable Fuel Standard final rule announced today. I am pleased that ethanol and biodiesel will qualify under the RFS. However, I am concerned about some provisions in the final rule that fail to use science-based standards," Chairman Peterson said. "To think that we can credibly measure the impact of international indirect land use is completely unrealistic, and I will continue to push for legislation that prevents unreliable methods and unfair standards from burdening the biofuels industry."

Chairman Peterson joined House Armed Services Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) and Representative Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO) to introduce a bill this week to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. The bill, H.R. 4572, also includes provisions that would stop the EPA from using international indirect land use calculations in biofuels regulations and would expand the definition of renewable biomass.