EPA must create certainty around biogenic carbon emissions, says Ernst, Fischer

U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE) and several other Republicans called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to update its biogenic carbon emissions rulemaking and provide regulatory clarity to the nation’s farmers, businesses and entrepreneurs who want to invest in their communities and pursue new market opportunities.

“The EPA needs to recognize that biogenic carbon emissions from ag feedstocks are not the same as carbon emissions from fossil fuels. Doing so will spur agribusiness investment in renewable fuels,” Sens. Ernst and Fischer said. “A more modern rulemaking on this issue is critical for rural America.”

In an Oct. 12 letter sent to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, the Republican senators wrote that for many growers of agricultural feedstocks — such as corn, cotton and hemp — the bioeconomy offers an opportunity to enter new markets and diversify their customer base. 

“Consumers worldwide are increasingly demanding sustainable, plant-based products and materials, and the global marketplace is rising to meet that demand,” wrote the lawmakers, “yet data indicates that the U.S. is falling behind its competitors in the international bioeconomy.” 

Environmental regulatory authorities worldwide, except for the EPA, distinguish between biogenic carbon emissions from agricultural crops and carbon emissions from fossil fuels, resulting in booming economies compared to those in the U.S., according to their letter. 

“EPA’s current policy on biogenic CO2 emissions has slowed investment in the U.S. bioeconomy due to uncertainty surrounding the permitting process, litigation risks and costs for new manufacturing and processing facilities,” the senators wrote. 

U.S. agribusinesses are positioned to make significant investments in facility modernization and improvements to support the development and production of renewable products and materials, but “they need regulatory certainty,” particularly America’s rural communities, the letter said.

“By clarifying the insignificant nature of biogenic carbon emissions from agricultural crops,” they wrote, “EPA can open the door for increased production of sustainable, plant-based products and materials with a wide range of environmental benefits in the United States.”

Among the lawmakers who joined Sens. Ernst and Fischer in signing the letter were U.S. Sens. Todd Young (R-IN), Richard Burr (R-NC), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and John Hoeven (R-ND).