ICGA, oil industry sue EPA

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The Illinois Corn Growers Association joined 12 other state corn organizations and oil industry representatives to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for its inequitable and costly electrification of America’s vehicle fleet.

The National Corn Growers Association, 25 state attorneys general, the American Petrochemical Institute, the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufactures, auto dealerships and Valero were among the organizations who filed petitions against the agency.

“In its multi-pollutant rule, the EPA incentivized the electric vehicle industry for its ability to reduce carbon, but refused to acknowledge the positive impact of renewable fuels,” ICGA President Dave Rylander said.

“Ethanol is currently decarbonizing our atmosphere. Why are we penalizing our current solution for a technology that is not obtainable at its proposed level today?”

The oil and agriculture industries request an approach that levels the playing field for all vehicle technologies and fuels to reduce emissions.

The EPA’s summary predicts the final rule, released in March, will cost $870 billion in vehicle technology. ICGA’s petition argues the rule’s astronomical price tag requires congressional authorization.

The coalition points to ethanol and other renewable fuels as a cost efficient, practical solution to the Biden administration’s climate concerns.

“Let’s support an all-hands-on-deck solution to lowering greenhouse gas emissions. The American public and our American farmers deserve better than the EPA’s unrealistic rule,” Rylander said.