EMANUEL CLEAVER, II	

'	

http://WWW.HOUSE.GOV/CLEAVER

FIFTH DISTRICT, MISSOURI	

TW I'TTER.COM/REPCLEAVER 

FINANCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE 

HOUSwG AND INSURANCE SuBCOMMiTTEE 	

FACEBOOK.COM/EMANUELCLEAVER II 

QVERSIGHT AND INVESTIGATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE

E lonigrYliti of #lte linifPd _oNttfeii


^nu^r nf +R^,prr^enftttiul`,^

December 2, 2013 

The Honorable Gina McCarthy 

Administrator 

Environmental Protection Agency 

1200 Pennsylvania Ave, N W 

Washington, D.C. 20460 

Re: 2014 RFS Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0479 

Dear Administrator McCarthy: 

I am writing to express my concern with the EPA's recent decision to reduce the Renewable Fuel 

Standard (RFS) requirement for 2014 below the legal requirement. I understand that the RFS 

statutory roadmap may be out of date and need adjustment to reflect recent data. Those 

adjustments can provide certainty for investment in the industry. However, new RFS goals 

should be developed in a way that continues to show strong support for biofuels, rather than 

damaging the policy's political support and stifling investment. 

Lowering the RFS requirement by almost 3 billion gallons for 2014 is an overcorrection that will 

undermine investor confidence in biofuels and lower investment in the industry. The 

requirement proposed for 2014 is 16 percent less than the averages expected in the Energy 

Independence and Security Act of 2007 and would be the first time that the target volume was 

decreased from the previous year. 

The ethanol industry is a significant contributor to Missouri's economy, creating jobs and 

revitalizing rural communities. The state's corn and ethanol industries contributed $12 billion in 

economic value and $2.2 billion in local, state and federal taxes from 2000-2011. Ethanol plants 

offer well-paying jobs in rural areas, as well as a dedicated market for feedstocks for hundreds of 

local farmers. These plants are often the best economic opportunity available in rural areas. 

E85 fuel can be the bridge to meeting our biofuel mandates while advanced biofuels ramp up. 

Greater investment in E85 pumps and stations is needed to allow drivers of the 16 million flex 

fuel vehicles currently on the road in the United States to increase their consumption of E85. 

Only about 2,500 fuel stations, out of the 115,000 stations around the nation, have at least one 

pump dedicated to E85. Additionally, not enough pumps are located in areas with high numbers 

of flex fuel vehicles. Most pumps are in the Midwest, while flex fuel vehicles are clustered in the 

Midwest, Texas, and the East Coast. A robust RFS mandate is crucial to providing incentive 

for this infrastructure investment to take place. 

PLEASE REPLY TO: 

2335 RAYBURN HOB	 101 WEST 31SI STREET	 211 WEST MAPLE AVENUE	 1923 MAiN STREET 

^ WASHINGTON, DC 20515	 KANSAS C,ITY, MO 64108	 INDEPENDENCE, MO 64050	 E] HIGGINSVILLE, MO 64037 

(202) 225-4535 (PHONE)	 (816) 842-4545 (PHONE)	 (816) 833-4545 (PHONE)	 (660) 584-7373 (PHONE) 

(202) 225-4403 (FAx)	 (816) 471-5215 (FAx)	 (816) 833-2991 (FAx)	 (660) 584-7227 (FAx) 

841swil 

PRINTFD ON RECYCLED PAPER
I respectfully request that EPA revise this proposal to ensure continued investment in the 

renewable fuel industry. The RFS lowers the cost of fuel and reduces the resources spent by our 

military. Without revision, the proposal will stifle investment in new plants and advanced 

biofuels, damage rural economies, and raise our dependence on foreign oil. 

S' cerely 	^ 

m n 1 Cleave -IT— r;^ 

er of Congress