Reuters: Regulatory News: UPDATE 1-US EPA seeks input on ethanol mandate waiver requests

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UPDATE 1-US EPA seeks input on ethanol mandate waiver requests Aug 20th 2012, 21:46 Mon Aug 20, 2012 5:46pm EDT WASHINGTON Aug 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday said it has begun weighing requests to suspend the U.S. ethanol mandate and is seeking public feedback on the waiver applications. The governors of North Carolina and Arkansas asked the agency last week to temporarily waive the U.S. ethanol quota, as the worst drought in 50 years has sent corn prices soaring. The EPA issued a notice on Monday asking for public comment on the need for an ethanol waiver. The 30-day comment period will begin once the notice is published in the Federal Register. "This notice is in keeping with EPA's commitment to an open and transparent process to evaluate requests the agency receives under the Clean Air Act, and does not indicate any predisposition to a specific decision," agency spokeswoman Alisha Johnson said in a statement. By law the agency has until Nov. 13 to make a decision on the waivers, meaning EPA could act on the requests after national elections on Nov. 6. Aimed at reducing U.S. reliance on foreign oil, the Renewable Fuels Standard, or RFS, would require 13.2 billion gallons of ethanol to be made from corn this year. U.S. livestock groups have argued that complying with the mandate at a time of severe national drought is causing major economic harm on livestock producers.

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