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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 12 (Tuesday, January 21, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Page 7135]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-01385]

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-ORD-2020-0682; FRL 12506-01-ORD]

Notice of the Final Biofuels and the Environment: Third Triennial 
Report to Congress

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the 
availability of a final document titled, ``Biofuels and the 
Environment: Third Triennial Report to Congress'' (EPA/600/R-24/343F). 
The document was prepared by EPA's Offices of Research and Development 
(ORD) and Air and Radiation (OAR), in consultation with the U.S. 
Departments of Agriculture and Energy.

DATES: The document will be available on or about January 17, 2025.

ADDRESSES: The final report will be available primarily via the 
internet on https://www.epa.gov/risk/biofuels-and-environment or the 
public docket at http://www.regulations.gov, Docket ID: EPA-HQ-ORD-
2020-0682.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For technical information, contact 
Christopher Clark; phone: 202-564-4183; or email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Information About the Document

    In 2007, Congress enacted the Energy Independence and Security Act 
(EISA) with the stated goals of ``mov[ing] the United States toward 
greater energy independence and security [and] to increase the 
production of clean renewable fuels.'' In accordance with these goals, 
EISA revised the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Program, which was 
created under the 2005 Energy Policy Act and is administered by EPA, to 
increase the volume of renewable fuel required to be blended into 
transportation fuel to 36 billion gallons per year by 2022. Section 204 
of EISA directs EPA, in consultation with the U.S. Departments of 
Agriculture and Energy, to assess and report triennially to Congress on 
the environmental and resource conservation impacts of the RFS Program.
    The first report to Congress was completed in 2011 and provided an 
assessment of the environmental and resource conservation impacts 
associated with increased biofuel production and use (EPA/600/R-10/
183F). The overarching conclusions of this first report were: (1) the 
environmental impacts of increased biofuel production and use were 
likely negative but limited in impact; (2) there was a potential for 
both positive and negative impacts in the future; and (3) EISA goals 
for biofuels production could be achieved with minimal environmental 
impacts if best practices were used and if technologies advanced to 
facilitate the use of second-generation biofuel feedstocks (corn 
stover, perennial grasses, woody biomass, algae, and waste).
    The second report to Congress was completed in 2018 and reaffirmed 
the overarching conclusions of the 2011 Report (EPA/600/R-18/195). The 
2018 Report noted that the biofuel production and use conditions that 
led to the conclusions of the 2011 Report had not materially changed, 
and that the production of biofuels from cellulosic feedstocks 
anticipated by both the EISA and the 2011 Report had not materialized. 
Noting observed increases in acreage for corn and soybean production in 
the period prior to and following implementation of the RFS2 Program, 
the 2018 Report concluded that the environmental and resource 
conservation impacts associated with land use change were likely due, 
at least in part, to the RFS and associated production of biofuel 
feedstocks.
    This third report to Congress builds on the previous two reports 
and provides an update on the impacts to date and likely future impacts 
of the RFS Program on the environment. This report assesses air, water, 
and soil quality; ecosystem health and biodiversity; and other effects. 
This third report also includes new additions and approaches not 
previously included in the first and second reports. In particular, 
this third report includes a new attribution analysis designed to 
separate the effects of the RFS Program from other factors that also 
affect biofuel production and consumption in the United States.

II. Information About Peer Review of the Document

    Peer review of ``Biofuels and the Environment: Third Triennial 
Report to Congress'' (External Review Draft, EPA/600/R-22/273) was 
managed by EPA's contractor, Eastern Research Group, Inc. (ERG). On May 
9, 2022, EPA announced through an FRN (87 FR 27634) that it was seeking 
public comment on a pool of twenty (20) candidates identified through a 
previous FRN seeking nomination of experts (87 FR 5479, February 1, 
2022). After considering public comment, and the balance and collective 
expertise of the reviewers, ERG identified two (2) additional 
candidates to strengthen expertise gaps in ecology, water quality, and 
economics, and allow a more balanced panel. On August 1, 2022, EPA 
announced through an FRN (87 FR 46958) that it was seeking public 
comment on the two (2) additional peer review candidates.
    After review and consideration of public comments on the candidates 
submitted in response to the previous FRNs (87 FR 27634, May 9, 2022, 
and 87 FR 46958, August 1, 2022), EPA's contractor, ERG, selected nine 
(9) peer reviewers from the pool in a manner consistent with EPA's Peer 
Review Handbook 4th Edition, 2015 (EPA/100/B-15/001) and independently 
conducted a conflict of interest (COI) screening of candidates to 
ensure that the selected experts have no COI in conducting this review. 
Candidates' combined expertise spanned the following disciplines: 
economics, engineering, agronomics, land use change, remote sensing, 
air quality, biogeochemistry, water quality, hydrology, conservation 
biology, limnology, and ecology.
    A peer review meeting to discuss the ``Biofuels and the 
Environment: Third Triennial Report to Congress (External Review 
Draft)'' (EPA/600/R-22/273) was held February 24-28, 2023, via webinar. 
EPA also announced a 60-day public comment period on January 3, 2023, 
via Federal Register notice (88 FR 72). The public comment period on 
the ``Biofuels and the Environment: Third Triennial Report to Congress 
(External Review Draft)'' (EPA/600/R-22/273) closed on March 6, 2023; 
EPA received fifteen public comments. The public were also invited to 
provide oral public comments at the February peer review meeting. The 
report was shared with the Office of Management and Budget for 
interagency review on November 13, 2023. After considering peer review, 
public comments, and interagency comments, EPA has prepared the final 
``Biofuels and the Environment: Third Triennial Report to Congress''.

Wayne Cascio,
Director, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment.
[FR Doc. 2025-01385 Filed 1-17-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-P
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