(Radio Iowa) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s acting administrator met privately with Iowa commodity group leaders at the Iowa State Fair Monday — but Andrew Wheeler told reporters afterwards there is no decision yet on regulations that would allow a higher blend of ethanol to be sold year-round. “I can’t tell you the timeline,” Wheeler said. “We are mindful of needing to have a decision on that before the growing season next year.”

Wheeler seemed to indicate E-P-A guidelines that would approve the sale of E-15 year-round would be coupled with some sort of accommodation for the oil industry.
“We’re certainly looking to see what we can do overall as a part of a larger effort to bring more certainty around the RFS and we’re open to that and I’ve been meeting with different groups around the country — different associations that represent the ethanol people, the refiners — trying to figure out what we can do ,” Wheeler said. “The important thing is the Trump Administration wants to move forward with implementing the RFS (in) both the spirit and the letter of the law.”

The Renewable Fuels Standard was established by congress and requires the E-P-A to annually set a mandatory production level for ethanol and other biofuels. Republican Governor Kim Reynolds criticized the previous E-P-A administrator for granting waivers that let some oil refiners get around the federal ethanol mandate. Reynolds made the same point yesterday (Monday) as she stood next to the E-P-A’s new acting director at a brief news conference.

“Fifteen million gallons needs to mean 15 million gallons and I think that’s the message that was delivered today in a very constructive manner,” Reynolds said “And that is something that the Administration and EPA could weigh in on that would have an immediate impact on the price of corn and infuse some optimism and certainty into the market.” Iowa Farm Bureau president Craig Hill was among the few dozen ag-industry leaders who had a private discussion with Wheeler. Hill says the meeting was “constructive,” but the Iowans didn’t get the answers they were hoping for.

“It’s been Christmas for the oil industry on every one of these deals. Where’s our deal?” he said. “…We’ve not gotten a thing.” Hill says farmers and the ethanol industry appreciate that the E-P-A has met the deadline for setting the federal production mandate for ethanol, but they’re frustrated the waivers granted to oil refineries has effectively reduced the mandated level of ethanol production. Congressman David Young, a Republican from Van Meter, thanked Wheeler for being “accessible” and listening to Iowa farm groups who’ve been worried about E-P-A foot-dragging on ethanol-related issues.

“Because of what President Trump said in promising E15, thinking it was a fabulous idea, there’s an expectation that’s going to happen,” Young says. Young says if the E-P-A doesn’t figure out how to authorize the sale of E-15 year-round, a bipartisan coalition in congress is working on legislation to make it happen.