Ag Secretary on EPA Fuel Standards

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue says he understands the EPA Administrations reasonings in its apparent decision to stay the course regarding fuel standards.

Perdue says he agrees with the reported decision by EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt not to go ahead with proposed changes to Renewable Fuels Standards. Those changes might have reduced the mandate for how much ethanol should be blended with gasoline.

"We have had discussions with Administrator Pruitt. Told him how important

It was to our producers particularly in this part of the country who felt like the president had a commitment to them over RFS."

Perdue made those comments while in Omaha, Nebraska days ago.

The agency had been considering some changes to rules set by the Obama administration that increase the amount of renewable biofuel that refineries must blend into the gas and diesel they sell.

Bloomberg News reported the EPA had specifically been considering "a possible reduction in biodiesel requirements". The agency was also looking at "a proposal to allow exported renewable fuel to count toward domestic quotas."

In early October, the EPA asked for public comment on cutting biodiesel quotas.