During a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing on Wednesday, Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) questioned EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin on the Trump administration's biofuel regulations.
00:00With that, we will move on. Administrator Zeldin, thank you for being here today.
00:05In your 112 days since your confirmation, you have taken steps to address Biden's unconstitutional waters of the United States rule.
00:13So thank you very much. That was something at the state of Nebraska we fought going back for years.
00:18You've issued waivers to allow the summertime sale of E-15 nationwide.
00:23You've empowered states to play an active role in federal programming.
00:26And before we start my questioning today, I want to thank you for that order, Administrator. I appreciate it.
00:33Thank you for supporting rural America and Nebraska farmers.
00:36Thank you for providing regulatory certainty.
00:38And thank you for taking steps to clean up the mess that you inherited.
00:43On that vein, I'm encouraged by the EPA's transmission of the Renewable Fuel Standard rulemaking to the Office of Management and Budget.
00:50I know that everybody here knows that I love this committee because we get to talk about biofuels.
00:58And so that's what we're going to do for a little bit here.
01:02With earlier conversations, Administrator Renewable Fuel Obligations drive the markets.
01:07We've had this conversation in real ways that benefit Nebraskans and specifically Nebraska row crop producers.
01:14A strong RVO creates strong markets that producers are in desperate need of right now in today's farm economy.
01:21Last week, and just to give you an example of how this works, last week, based on rumors of D4 RVOs being set at roughly 4.625 billion gallons, soybean basis dropped almost 30%.
01:33So it has a big impact on the market.
01:35I'm hopeful to see a biomass-based diesel target set at 5.25 billion gallons and ethanol targets set at no lower than 15 billion gallons.
01:43Nebraska's farmers and biofuels stakeholders are relying on it.
01:48The Biden administration failed to these constituents time and time again with late, under-projected RVOs, and you have the opportunity to correct that.
01:59In your efforts to bring the EPA back into RFS compliance, what is your anticipated timeline for the final RVO rulemaking?
02:06The draft proposed rule is currently at OMB.
02:09We expect the proposed rule to be finalized and released very soon.
02:15We'll go through rulemaking.
02:16That includes the public comment period.
02:19We'll finalize this as quickly as we possibly can.
02:22Senator Ricketts, your advocacy is very well noted at EPA.
02:27You've been a passionate, tireless advocate for your constituents on this topic.
02:32We know how important it is to you, so we will get this done as fast as humanly possible.
02:37So when you say soon, are you thinking the summer?
02:40Are you thinking the fall?
02:40What are you thinking?
02:42Much, much faster.
02:43Okay, great.
02:45Supporting biofuels is consistent also with President Trump's mandate to unleash American energy.
02:50Year-round nationwide E15 sales are a no-brainer, in my humble opinion.
02:54It's affordable, drives farm profit, and lessens reliance on adversaries for energy.
03:00Thank you for your administrative action earlier this year to allow E15 summertime sales.
03:06But producers and industries rely on certainty throughout the year and actually need a permanent legislative fix.
03:12Once more, again, for the record, do you think enacting the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retail Choice Act
03:18is the best way to get E15 permanently authorized year-round?
03:22Senator, if Congress was to do this statutorily, it would be the fastest, easiest, most durable solution.
03:33Great.
03:34And then we've also visited about the importance of crop protection tools.
03:36I noticed that the chairman was talking about that a little bit earlier.
03:40Last month, I sent you a letter with 79 bicameral signatures calling for the use of sound science and risk-based analysis
03:48as the executive branch considers options to address chronic illness.
03:53I'd like to submit this letter for the record.
03:55And since I'm the chairman, I will do it without objection.
03:57I'm encouraged by your commitment in my office before your confirmation and at your hearing and in the follow-up conversations
04:04to implement these principles.
04:06As radical environments try to push their anti-agriculture agenda,
04:09these commitments become increasingly important and consequential.
04:12Once again, do I have your commitment to ensure that the executive action relating to the safe, critical crop protection tools
04:18and food-grade ingredients that you take as part of this review
04:23will be based on sound science and risk-based analysis?
04:26Yes, Senator.
04:27Great.
04:27Thank you very much.
04:29I urge you to use the resources provided by the EPA to the EPA by Congress in ways that are consistent with our intent.
04:36Again, thank you for the work that you've already done.
04:39The EPA protects human health and environment by maximizing every dollar to provide clean and safe drinking water,
04:46minimizing exposure to forever chemicals, providing regulatory certainty to Nebraska agricultural producers and industry,
04:53complying with the statutory mandates.
04:54And I look forward to working with you and other members of this committee and the appropriators
04:58to ensure that you have robust funding to be able to do this.
05:01Thank you, Administrator, for your work and for being here today.
05:04And with that, I will go to Senator Altsonbrick.
