Trmgl`e »Ikl r1f tlpL' 1111:itL'ii ^^ Ihdk'tl KlT 20515 January 16, 2014 I'he Honorable Gina McCai•tliy 13PA Administrator U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1200 Pennsylva►iia Avenue NW Washirtgton DC 20460 RE: 201 z 1 Re►lewable Ft►el Standal•cf Dear Aciministrator McCarthy: We at-e weiting to express oiur co►icern regarding the Etivironlnelital Protection Agency's (EPA) pcoposed rule for the 2014 t • enewable volume obligations (RVOs) tuider the Re►iewable Fuel Standacd (RFS) program. By reclucing the amount of renewable ftiel blended into gasoline lowel• tlian in 2013, this rule cotlld liurt rtn • al eco►iomics, jeopardize Ame► • ican jobs, raise prices at tbe putnp and detec investment in biofuels and biofl►el infi • astructttre. We are ftlrtller concerned t11at the rationale useci by the L;PA is iucousistent witli thc current statl►te and could jeopardize the future of the rencwable fuel industcy. As yotl are aware, Congress lirst approved the Renewable Fnel Standard in tile Encrgy Policy Act of'2005 and tlle►I significa►itly eapa►xled it in 2007 through t11e Fnergy Independenee and Security Act, From 2005 throt►gh 2012 our dependence o►i imported petroletuii produets declined fi • om 60% to 41%, due in part to increased use of etlianol and otlier bioftuels. Reclucing our dependence oii foreign oil is in the best interest of our cotintry's national security. Additionally, the JUS supports almost 400,000 American jobs anci lias helped encottrage billions of dollat-s of investtncnt in researclt atid developrnent in biofuel-relateci tecllnologies. 'I'lie signiflcant reduction in renewable voltlme obligations unclel • this proposed I • t►le cotlld destabilize the renewable tuel incitlstry alid sentf the wroug message to illvestors. Tiiis risks jobs a►Zd tlireatens the development of advanced and cellitlosic biofiuels that bring higher-level etlianol and biocliesel blends to constmiers. Seventy-ffve percent of tbe current vehicle fleet is approved to operate o►1 L15. In the RFS, Congress provided flexibility to the FPA to acljust requireci volu►aies based on anticipated production for advanced biofuels. Furthernlore, this yea► • is orne of the biggest eorn harvests o►i recorcl ancl yet the proposed rule would recluec the RVOs signifieantly. Inslead of using a lliglter volume of available corn for etliarnol blenciing, gasol'uic wotild nccd to be refined fl'oll1 Ttlol'e fo►

- elgll oll, W1ltcI1 collid dl'ive Ul) gas ])Plces fot' all colistllllePs.

^ I r7IN(h0 aN HECVCI.eu P'tlPeH

### We respectfttlly request that EPA t • evise this proposal, ensuri►lg that it is cotisistent witli tlie law

and its rcqttireme►it to set volutiies based on anticipated pcoduction. Witliout a revisecl proposal, we are conccrned that the TPA's proposed rnle would itnpose siguificant burdens on rural economies while itict • easi►ig gas prices atid o►ir reliance on foreigti oil. Sincerely,
Clleri Bustos

Metrnbc► 

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# fTl William L. Enyart Mctiiber of Congress 

### Ro ney Davis

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Sam 6raves Member of Congcess
Rick Nolan Mctrnber of Cotigcess

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Dave Loebsack Meitibet • of Congres;.^ 

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^m^ifucl Clea^^er _Mernt'^(er of Congress
,lackie Walorski

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