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RFA seeks update on EPA feedstock audits

The Renewable Fuels Association has asked the EPA for an update on its investigation into imported biofuel feedstocks.

President and CEO Geoff Cooper tells Brownfield the U.S. imports more than six billion pounds of supposedly-used cooking oil and questionable tallow for feedstock to make biodiesel. “Enjoying the benefit of a U.S. tax credit, and enjoying the benefit of a valuable RIN (Renewable Identification Number) credit under the Renewable Fuel Standard, and not to mention the benefit of a low-carbon fuel standard credit in the State of California, so this is a real concern for us.”

Cooper says the amount of imported oil and tallow is on pace to reach six and a half billion pounds this year, making a big impact on the entire biofuels market. “That’s enough feedstock to produce somewhere around seven to eight hundred million gallons of renewable diesel or biodiesel, so we’re talking about somewhere between 15% and 20% of total production.”

Cooper says the imports have also created a surplus of renewable diesel fuel, exceeding the blending requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard, which then impacts how much ethanol gets blended into gasoline.

Cooper says he sent a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan Tuesday, asking him for an update on their cooking oil and tallow investigation, and to increase stringency and integrity of waste feedstock recordkeeping requirements under the Renewable Fuel Standard. 

The RFA says questionable imports of used cooking oil and tallow jumped from 52 million pounds in January 2021 to 627 million pounds in July of this year.  Most of the imports are coming from China and Brazil.

AUDIO: Geoff Cooper discusses the issues behind imported used cooking oil and tallow being used for biodiesel production with Brownfield’s Larry Lee.