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[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 55 (Tuesday, March 22, 2011)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 15855-15856]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-6561]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2005-0161; FRL-9284-2]

40 CFR Part 80

Denial of Petitions for Reconsideration of Regulation of Fuels 
and Fuel Additives: Changes to Renewable Fuel Standard Program

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of denial of petitions for reconsideration.

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SUMMARY: On May 24, 2010, the Clean Air Task Force (CATF), the National 
Wildlife Federation, the World Wildlife Fund and the Friends of the 
Earth petitioned the Administrator to reconsider an EPA rule, published 
on March 26, 2010 (75 FR 14670), which amended the Renewable Fuel 
Standard Program pursuant to Clean Air Act section 211(o). The 
petitioners alleged that EPA failed to properly require producers of 
renewable fuels to verify domestic crops and crop residues used to 
produce the renewable fuels complied with the applicable land use 
restrictions. Additionally, the CATF alleged that EPA did not properly 
account for the ``global rebound effect'' in the final analysis of the 
lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emission impacts of renewable fuel 
production and use. On February 17, 2011, the Administrator denied the 
petitions for reconsideration and the accompanying requests for stays 
in implementing the regulations. This Notice announces the availability 
of EPA's decision.

DATES: EPA's denials of the petitions to reconsider were issued by 
letters dated February 17, 2011.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Argyropoulos in the EPA's Office 
of

[[Page 15856]]

Transportation and Air Quality at (202) 564-1123 or 
argyropoulos.paul@epa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 24, 2010, the Clean Air Task Force 
(CATF), the National Wildlife Federation, the World Wildlife Fund and 
the Friends of the Earth petitioned the Administrator to reconsider an 
EPA rule, published on March 26, 2010 (75 FR 14670), which amended the 
Renewable Fuel Standard Program. This amendment (commonly referred to 
as RFS2) was adopted in response to Clean Air Act Section 211(o) as 
amended by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA). The 
petitioners alleged that EPA failed to properly require producers of 
renewable fuels to verify domestic crops and crop residues used to 
produce the renewable fuels complied with the land use restrictions in 
EISA. The petitioners other than CATF requested a stay of the aggregate 
compliance portion of the RFS2 rules. Additionally, the CATF alleged 
that in this rule, EPA did not properly account for the ``global 
rebound effect'' in the final analysis of the lifecycle greenhouse gas 
(GHG) emission impacts of renewable fuel production and use. CATF 
requested a stay of the entire RFS2 final rule.
    The EPA considers the lifecycle GHG emission assessment of 
renewable fuels and the land use restrictions applicable to renewable 
biomass provisions to be important parts of the RFS2 program and 
carefully reviewed the arguments and information provided by the 
petitioners on these two issues. On February 17, 2011, the 
Administrator responded by denying the petitions to reconsider. The EPA 
also denied all requests for a stay of implementation of the RFS2 
regulations. The letters of denial and the supporting rationale have 
been posted on the EPA Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/fuels/renewablefuels/notices.htm.

    Dated: March 14, 2011.
Margo Tsirigotis Oge,
Director, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, Office of Air and 
Radiation.
[FR Doc. 2011-6561 Filed 3-21-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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