Dear Friends,
Because burning food in the presence of a record-breaking nationwide drought is economic and moral folly, I wrote Governor Bob McDonnell (August 2) urging that he request a waiver allowed under the Congressionally required, EPA administered Ethanol from corn fuel mandate.
Diverting food to auto fuel is driving up consumer food and fuel prices, directly harming Virginia’s grain, livestock and poultry farmers, and may worsen runoff fertilizer pollution in the Chesapeake Bay.
On August 27 Governor McDonnell requested that EPA Administrator, Lisa Peterson, issue a waiver of the Ethanol mandate, provided under the law, that ethanol be added to gasoline fuels from a portion of America’s corn crop which is now set aside for fuel and not food purposes.
You can see my letter to Gov. McDonnell and his letter to the EPA here. I applaud Governor McDonnell’s actions, and hope that the EPA will recognize the serious economic harm from continuing EPA’s ethanol mandate which it is imposing on Virginia’s families, farms and small businesses.
The EPA is seeking public input on the waiver through September 26. I urge Virginians to make their views known to end this wasteful and costly practice in the presence of a record-breaking drought. (See the EPA article here.)
Delegate Bob Marshall
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