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 z1 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►• oI' Congress 

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William L. Enyart

Mctiiber of Congress 

Ro ney Davis


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beiof Congress

Sam 6raves


Member of Congcess 

Rick Nolan


Mctrnber of Cotigcess 

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Colliu Peterson

Memb-w:-of Co tf^'ress 

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Member of Congress 

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Diatta DeGette


Meniber of Cotigeess

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Member of Co gress 

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Steve kiiig


Member of Congress

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Brtice Bi-aleyor

 Member of 'ongress 

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'Ti►n Walz


embec of CQng • ss 

Dave Loebsack


Meitibet• of Congres;.^^ 

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Scott Pete►•s 

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^	Me ^ber of Cotngress 

Ma Kaptur


Men^l of Congress
Colleeii I^anabUsa


Mciuber ol Congress

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Mark I'ocan


Meiiiber of Coiigress 

^m^ifucl Clea^^er


 _Mernt'^(er of Congress 

,lackie Walorski 

Meiaiber of`Coilgress 

Mernber of Congcess 

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Bill Foster 

Meiilbec of Congress 

Mcmber of Coiigress 

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^Strzatinc Bonamici 

Menlber of Congress 

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Metllbel' of C011gl'ess 

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Daiiiel Lipinski	 Robin Kell), 

Membei- of Coiigress	 Member of Congress 

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