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Group likes what it sees with new EPA rules for ethanol use; group's director warns of impact of Vermont labeling law

May 23, 2016

4 Min Read

Corn growers across the country got news recently about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new rules concerning ethanol use for 2017. And on the whole, the group is pleased with the increase but disappointed because EPA isn't keeping up with the statute. In addition, the group is concerned about a looming food labeling law in Vermont that will impact food producers nationally.

First up, the proposed Renewable Volume Obligation under the Renewable Fuel Standard. EPA proposed the RVO in 2017 be 18.8 billion gallons, a rise from 18.11 billion gallons in 2016, but short of the 24 billion gallons that the 2007 RFS called for by this time. As part of that RVO, EPA proposes capping grain-based ethanol at 14.8 billion gallons, just shy of the 15 billion gallons set by the statute.

In its statement, Colorado Corn Growers add that "EPA cited a lack of fuel infrastructure as one reason for setting numbers short of statute. However, over the past year, farmers and the ethanol industry have invested millions of dollars along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership to accelerate public and private investment in new ethanol pumps and fuel infrastructure."

The public comment period regarding the proposal is open until July 11, and the rule is expected to be finalized by Nov. 30.

Mark Sponsler, executive director, Colorado Corn, comments: "America's corn farmers and the ethanol industry have done their job and are calling on the EPA to follow the law, and raise the ethanol volume to statute. Any reduction in the statutory amount for ethanol takes America backward."

He notes that the additive is the key oxygenate for gasoline and in 2015 was credited with lowering CO2-equivalent emissions from transportation by 41.2 metric tons - which the same as taking 8.7 million cars off the road. And domestically produced ethanol lowered net U.S. import oil dependence to 25%, which would otherwise have hit 32%, Sponsler adds.

GMO labeling

Sponsler also issued an OP-ED piece recently on the topic of GMO food labeling and the law passed in Vermont will now impact food across the nation. In that OP ED, Sponsler is calling for a nationwide labeling bill, but notes that food companies "are also concerned that on-pack labeling would mislead consumers, causing them to believe foods bearing a GMO label should be avoided even though there's no scientific justification warranting that belief."

He adds: "The safety of GMOs is well-documented, and supported by health and scientific authorities covering the globe, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Medical Association, European Food Safety Authority, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and World Health Organization."

He points out a few key facts:

• Each GM seed variety takes on average $136 million and 13 years to bring to market because of the safety studies and regulatory approval processes necessary.

• In response to what was described as an information gap at the time, Italian scientists in 2013 analyzed 1,783 studies around the world, spanning the previous decade, regarding the safety and environmental impacts of GMOs. They couldn’t find a single credible example demonstrating that GMOs pose harm to humans or animals.

• And in 2015, a massive, peer-reviewed, food-safety study – involving 4 billion farm animals fed GM foods, and 4 billion animals fed non-GM foods – showed there were no differences in animal health, growth or fertility. No quantifiable traces of GM components were detected in milk, meat and eggs following the animals’ consumption of GM foods.

The U.S. House has passed a voluntary, national labeling bill that would supersede state laws, but it is stalled in the Senate. Sponsler is calling for the Colorado Senators - Michael Bennet and Cory Gardner - to lend their support to a bipartisan approach "that protects scientific progress, the agricultural community and family budgets."

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