Fuel manufacturer threatens to sue EPA over 2015 fuel mandate

A top fuel manufacturer is threatening to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to meet deadlines on its 2015 proposal for the renewable fuel mandate.

The American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) on Monday filed a notice of intent to sue the agency over the 2015 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which requires refiners to mix a certain amount of ethanol and biofuels into the nation’s fuel supply.

{mosads}“For some reason, the administration feels that it is above the law and does not need to comply with the statutory deadlines of the RFS,” said Charles Drevna, president of AFPM.

The group contends that the EPA should have finalized the 2015 standard by Nov. 30.

“At this point we have no choice but to take the matter to court. Today, obligated parties are left to sit and wait for EPA to not only propose the 2015 standard, but to actually issue a final rule for 2014, which we now know that EPA has no intention of doing until sometime in 2015,” Drevna added.

Before the Thanksgiving holiday, the EPA said it would be delaying its final rule on the 2014 fuel mandate, enraging both the oil industry and biofuel producers who support the standard.

“This disregard for the law and obvious contempt for the obligated parties are reasons why Congress needs to step in and repeal or significantly reform this badly broken program,” Drevna said.

The EPA says it plans to “get back on” an annual schedule for 2014, 2015, and 2016 standards in the next year.