B&C® Biobased and Sustainable Chemicals Blog

On January 27, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the importation of biodiesel made from soybeans from Argentinian biofuel producers as qualifying for U.S. biofuel credits under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Argentina's Biofuels Chamber's (CARBIO) request for an "Alternative Renewable Biomass Tracking Requirement" was approved, which allows foreign manufacturers to be part of the RFS if they follow certain environmental standards. The U.S. biodiesel...

By Richard E. Engler, Ph.D. In 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute® (ACS GCI) renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), continuing the partnership centered on the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award. The award cycle returned to its original schedule with the 2015 ceremony set to coincide with the Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference, as it had until 2013. This year the conference will be held on...

On January 16, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted a petition from the Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®) to add "biodiesel" as a chemical category for partial reporting exemption at 40 C.F.R. Section 711.6(b)(2)(iv) under the Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) rule and will be proceeding with a direct final rule to be published later in January. The approved biodiesel category on the partial reporting exemption list will include the following chemicals:...

On December 19, 2014, the European Union (EU) Commission called for comments on EU Emission Trading System Directive revisions. The revisions include changes to how carbon allowances will be made available to participants in the EU's emissions trading system after 2020 to reduce GHG emissions by at least 40 percent in 2030 compared to 1990. The 2030 framework for climate and energy also proposes the use of 400 million carbon allowances to create a fund for renewable energy and carbon...

EPA announced that renewable fuels produced from sorghum biomass could qualify as cellulosic fuel under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). This is a result of a preliminary analysis of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions resulting from the growth and transport of biomass sorghum feedstocks that are used to make biofuels. The analysis, which was conducted in response to a petition from the National Sorghum Producers, assumes that the emissions from production of biofuels from biomass sorghum are...

On December 29, 2014, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published the final rule for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). REAP is intended to help mainly businesses, as well as some state, local, and tribal governments develop solar, wind, and biomass projects. This new rule will change the requirements for those applying for funding from the grant and loan guarantees for renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements in rural areas. There is now a three-tiered application...

The Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®) is pleased to share the Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) announcement that Richard E. Engler, Ph.D., will be joining B&C as a Senior Policy Advisor. Dr. Engler's experience as a senior staff scientist in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT), and as leader of EPA's Green Chemistry Program, will be extremely helpful for BRAG members as they continue to navigate the...

As a follow-up to last week's item concerning Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C®) and the Biobased and Renewable Products Advocacy Group (BRAG®) sponsorship of the December 7, 2014, Women in Industrial Biotechnology Networking Reception, we are pleased to share the video of Dr. Debbie Yaver's remarks when she was awarded the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) Rosalind Franklin Award for Leadership in Industrial Biotechnology on December 9, 2014. Congratulations to Dr. Yaver for...

On December 16, 2014, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) released a report on "Options for Reforming the Renewable Fuel Standard." A copy of BPC's press release on the report, with links to the report and its summary, is also available online. BPC explains that the report results from three meetings of diverse stakeholders throughout 2014. It outlines an inventory of 40 potential regulatory or legislative reforms to the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). BPC in the report concludes that...

The United Kingdom (UK) Department for Transport (DfT) announced the launch of a £25 million competition for funding to build advanced biofuel plants. The funding will eventually lead to the construction of up to three demonstration level advanced biofuel plants in the UK. In order to qualify for funding, the biofuels being produced need to have at least 60 percent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels and be made from waste materials. Potential bidders have until...