WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) today issued an update to its December 31, 2012 news release on the association's petition to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to waive the 2012 cellulosic biofuel mandate due to the biofuel industry's repeated failure to produce the cellulosic biofuel needed to meet the government mandate.  

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120125/MM41823LOGO)

On January 9, 2012, EPA announced the applicable volumetric requirements for various renewable fuels under the Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS) and established the 2012 regulatory requirement for cellulosic biofuel at 10.45 million ethanol-equivalent gallons. In announcing the petition, AFPM relied upon EPA's most recent data reported through October 2012.  Available information indicated just 20,069 gallons of cellulosic biofuel actually produced, all of which was exported generating no Renewable Identification numbers (RINS), or credits for refiners to use to comply with the federal biofuel mandate. Citing the lack of domestic supply, AFPM President Charles T. Drevna called EPA's timeline for introducing cellulosic biofuel into the fuel supply market as "ambitious" and "unrealistic."       

Earlier today, EPA updated its data and announced that in November 2012 the biofuel industry produced an additional 1,741 ethanol equivalent gallons of cellulosic diesel fuel. In response to this news, Drevna issued the following statement:  "I stand corrected. November's data reporting that the biofuel industry produced 1,741 ethanol equivalent gallons of cellulosic diesel shows excellent progress toward complying with the EPA's 2012 mandate of 10.45 million ethanol equivalent gallons of cellulosic biofuel. Six thousand additional months at this production level and the country will finally achieve EPA's 2012 mandated volumes," Drevna said. 

About AFPM
AFPM, the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (formerly known as NPRA, the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association) is a trade association representing high-tech American manufacturers of virtually the entire U.S. supply of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, other fuels and home heating oil, as well as the petrochemicals used as building blocks for thousands of vital products in daily life. AFPM members make modern life possible and keep America moving and growing as they meet the needs of our nation and local communities, strengthen economic and national security, and support 2 million American jobs.

SOURCE American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers