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Pruitt tells lawmakers RFS waivers within the law

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt testified this morning that RFS waivers have not been improperly granted to oil refineries this year. Congressman Gene Green is a Democrat from Texas and asked Pruitt, “Has the agency granted any waivers to facilities that output exceeds 75,000 barrels a day?”

Pruitt answered, “We look at it on a facility-by-facility basis and the statute says it’s 75,000 barrels or less so it’s objectively determined in that regard.”

Reports over the last several weeks accuse Pruitt of granting waivers to larger refineries and hiding the fact, since documentation has not been released. Pruitt was asked how many waivers have been given this year and last. He said 22 waivers were granted in 2017, “We received more than that this year for the 2017 – but, what’s really driving this, in a lot of respects, is just the RIN prices. You know, dropping to 40-cents, up to 85-cents and the rest. And so you just see a lot of pressure on those small refineries particularly.”

Democrats on the Energy and Commerce environment subcommittee hammered Pruitt on alleged ethics violations, lack of transparency and denying science while Republicans praised him for cleaning up superfund sites and reducing regulations, including the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule.

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