US EPA vows to find regulatory fix by year-end after biodiesel fraud
Washington (Platts)--15Aug2012/416 pm EDT/2016 GMT
The US Environmental Protection Agency expects to propose a
regulatory fix by the end of the year aimed at restoring the market for
renewable fuel credits after three fraud cases shut out all but the
largest biodiesel producers.
Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air and
Radiation, told a Democrat in the House of Representatives on Tuesday
that the agency hoped to have the solution in place by early 2013.
The proposal would contain elements pushed by the oil industry, notably
an "affirmative defense" policy that would afford refiners some
protection when they discover invalid or fraudulent renewable
identification numbers (RINs) on their books despite their best efforts
to verify them beforehand.
"This best effort would be demonstrated by purchasing RINs that have
been validated through an independent third-party auditor executing an
EPA-approved Quality Assurance Program," McCarthy wrote to
Representative Gene Green of Texas. "The affirmative defense would
ensure that refiners and other program participants who meet the
conditions of the affirmative defense will not face civil penalties."
EPA has declared invalid 140 million RINs representing about 930,000
gallons of biodiesel. Oil companies use the credits to demonstrate
compliance with the Renewable Fuel Standard, which requires them to
blend a certain amount of ethanol, biodiesel and advanced biofuels into
US motor fuel supplies every year.
"We understand that many in industry are seeking a resolution to these
market uncertainties before making purchasing decisions for RINs in the
new year," McCarthy wrote. "To that end, on an expedited basis, the EPA
expects to issue a proposal before the end of 2012, with a final action
as soon as possible in 2013."
McCarthy said any new elements of the program, including third-party
auditors, would be voluntary.
"Early indications from the industry are that obligated parties prefer
the option of buying validated RINs from small producers and keeping the
existing program for RINs purchased from the largest, most
well-established producers," she wrote.
For months, EPA has been talking with refiners, the National Biodiesel
Board and other industry players about regulatory changes that might
return liquidity to the biodiesel RINs market.
Since the first fraud case became public last autumn, refiners have
opted to buy credits from biofuel giants that have balance sheets big
enough to refund any invalid RINs.
Stephen Brown, vice president of government affairs for refiner Tesoro,
said that trend continues more than a year later.
"Frankly, because there's no other alternative, we can only buy from
biodiesel producers [for which] we have some degree of certainty that
their RINs are valid, that their feedstocks are legitimate, that in the
event that their RINs turn out not to be valid, we can get replacement
RINs that will be valid," Brown said.
"That really falls to the largest of the biodiesel producers," he added.
"So this delay in getting some kind of rule across the finish line is
unfortunately putting a real and substantial financial squeeze on the
independent biodiesel producers -- the vast majority of which I'm sure
are completely honest and aboveboard."
The bogus credits identified by EPA were sold by Clean Green Fuel of
Perry Hall, Maryland, Absolute Fuels of Lubbock, Texas, and Green Diesel
of Houston.
A federal jury in Baltimore convicted Rodney Hailey, owner of Clean
Green Fuel, in June of fraud, money laundering and violating the Clean
Air Act by selling $9.1 million in credits without producing a drop of
biodiesel.
A grand jury in Texas last week indicted Absolute Fuels owner Jeffrey
Gunselman on similar fraud charges, accusing him of selling $42 million
in fake credits.
No charges have been filed against Green Diesel or CEO Philip Rivkin.
The fraud cases continue to rattle the markets for biodiesel and RINs,
as traders suspect more fake credits could be circulating. A House
committee investigating the issue said in May that the 140 million
invalid RINs might double as more cases emerge.
--Meghan Gordon,
meghan_gordon@platts.com
--Edited by Lisa Miller,
lisa_miller@platts.com
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