A 3 ^ ^ri 12: July 24, 2015 Administrator Gina McC U.S. Environmental Prol 1200 Pennsylvania Aver Washington, DC 20460 ^

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Agency

RE: Docket ID No. EPA-"Q-OAR-2015-0111 Dear Administrator Mc 

# a We, the undersigned, ated employees of Golden Grain Energy, LLC, respectfully request that the statutory reqi -nts of the Renewable Fuel Standard be upheld. My job and the welfare of my family s upon it. Golden Grain Energy, LL( original Renewable Volun There is no legal, marketp: from the RFS statutory rec and it must be maintained. is a privately-held ethanol producer in Mason City, Iowa. The Obligation established by Congress under the RFS must be, upheld. ce or consumer rationale for reducing the conventional biofutels 1_evel irements. This is the most successful U.S. energy policy in,history,
The RFS is working for t e economy. In response to the RFS becoming law, the ethapol industry invested billions cf dollars in building production facilities, expanding infrastrUcture, and improving technology.^In addition, the RFS has spurred innovation, with four cellulosic ethanol plants in productior, or currently under construction — three of which are located in Iowa. upports jobs for more than 379,000 Americans, including 47,000 jobs ^ave allowed Iowa ethanol production to nearly double since 2007, . economy and sparking a rural renaissance. nergy security. Ethanol already makes up 10% of our natio 's fuel ,nce on foreign oil has decreased from 61 % in 2005 to 28% i2014. 14.3 billion gallons of American-made ethanol last year, net imports ;,re at Golden Grain Energy, LLC we are proud to be mar.ufacturing an ; foreign oil. In 2014, U.S ethanol production displaced an equivalent The ethanol industry also here in Iowa. Those jobs greatly benefiting the Iovr The RFS is working for c supply, while U.S. depend Without the production of would have been 35%. H Iowa product that displaceof 512 million barrels of i^orted crude oil, slightly more than all the oil the U.S. impo s from

Saudi Arabia. On the other hand, it saddens us that exports of our locally-produced ethanol reached a record high last year due to EPA's delay in finalizing the RVOs. These gallons should have beenblended into domestic transortation fuels, giving Americans even greater access to cleanerburning ethanol blends inst ad of fueling cars in South Korea and the Philippines. Let's give our consumers more fuel choic s and healthier air to breathe by restoring RVO levels to fulfill Congressional intent. The RFS is working for e nsumers. According to National Association of Convenience Stores, price is the most important factor when buying gas. Since ethanol is the lowest cost transportation fiiel and octa e source in the world, ethanol is contributing a cost savings to American motorists. Drive r^s in Iowa and around the nation are now seeing more homegrown, lower-cost fuel options such as E15 and E85 at the pump, and these choices will continue to expand if the RFS is allowed to continue working as intended. The RFS is workin for fa^rmers. Increased demand for corn for ethanol roduction has added

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### p value to Iowa corn, increasi!ng farmer productivity and profitability while saving U.S. taxpayers tens of billions of dollars i ^ Farm Bill payments that are no longer necessary. At Golden Grain Energy, LLC, we are proudl,to buy corn from local farmers, who are the leaders and lifebllood of our communities. AgricultoTal and rural career opportunities have increased dramatically since the RFS went into place, allowing the best and brightest of our youth to pursue careers on the farm and keep their talents in rural America. The RFS is working for t e environment. Simply put, ethanol burns cleaner and lowers carbon pollution compared to gaso ine. In 2014, the use of ethanol slashed greenhouse gas emissions by 40 million metric tons, whih is the equivalent of removing 8.4 million vehicles from the road. If left intact, the RFS can d even more to displace oil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by bringing increasingly low carbon alternatives to market, such as cellulosic ethanol and other advanced biofuels. It's also important to note that as renewable fuels continue to get cleaner and more energy efficient, oil production continues to get dirtier and more energy intensive. Our request is simple: Do 't Mess with the RFS! Reverse the economic and environmental harm that the proposed lower volumes will have on our nation. The RFS is working and it's the one policy in place today t^at creates market access for alternatives to petroleum, breakig the oil industry's virtual mono oly over the transportation fuel supply. We are counting on^he EPA to preserve our industry, ou jobs and the well-being of our family, friends and the great state of Iowa!

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Sincerely, The employees of Golden 

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