B&C® Biobased and Sustainable Chemicals Blog

Monroe Energy, LLC (Monroe), a refinery and subsidiary of Delta Airlines, has filed another lawsuit challenging EPA's implementation of the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). In this latest suit, Monroe argues that blenders, not refiners and importers, of fuel should be deemed the obligated parties under the RFS. Monroe does not have blending capacity like some larger refiners. Monroe asserts that the fact that EPA in its proposed rule to set the 2014 RFS renewable...

On February 3, 2014, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy announced that up to $12 million in funding would be made available to advance the production of cost-competitive, high-performance carbon finer material from renewable non-food based feedstocks. Feedstocks could include agriculture residues and woody biomass. This funding supports DOE's Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative. A copy of DOE's press release on this announcement...

On February 10, 2014, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is scheduled to hold a field hearing in Charleston, West Virginia, to examine the effects of and response to the January 9, 2014, chemical spill into the Elk River. More information on the hearing is available online....

On February 4, 2014, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works' Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife held a hearing on "Examination of the Safety and Security of Drinking Water Supplies Following the Central West Virginia Drinking Water Crisis." A full list of witnesses is available online. Senator Mark Udall (D-CO) spoke at the hearing and stressed the need for reform of TSCA in the wake of the January 9, 2014, chemical spill in West...

On February 4, 2014, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy held its fifth hearing this term on potential reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (TSCA). The Subcommittee is working on drafting its version of a TSCA reform bill. This latest hearing focused on potential reforms to Sections 4 and 8 of the law. TSCA Section 4 covers when and under what circumstances the U.S. Environmental...

President Obama is expected to sign H.R. 2642, the Agriculture Act of 2014 (the new five-year Farm Bill), into law on Friday at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. He is scheduled to speak there about the importance of the legislation. The Farm Bill is critically significant to the biofuels and renewable chemicals and products industries because the new Farm Bill continues and expands on the majority of the energy programs covered under the...

Mercedes-Benz is collaborating on a pilot cellulosic ethanol project with specialty chemical companies Clariant and Haltermann. According to the press release issued by Clariant, "[o]ver the next twelve months, test fleet vehicles can be refilled with the new [E20 cellulosic ethanol] fuel at a specially equipped gas station on the Mercedes-Benz site in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim. The cellulosic ethanol comes from Clariant's sunliquid® demonstration plant in Straubing, where...

On January 27, 2014, Arkema introduced biobased Pebax® for ski boot production. According to the company's press release, Pebax® Rnew 80R53 is 50% more rigid than existing Pebax® grades, already well-known for several years as reference materials for both alpine touring and cross-country ski boots. A copy of the press release is available online....

On January 28, 2014, 32 food industry groups sent a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee calling for Congress to act through the legislative process to reduce the annual RVOs under the RFS. The groups argue that the proposed reductions to the 2014 RVOs by EPA do not go far enough. They argue that Congress needs to act to avoid what they predict will be negative impacts on commodities and energy markets, as...

On January 24, 2014, seven Democratic Members of Congress from Iowa, Minnesota, and Illinois sent a letter to President Obama requesting a meeting with the White House to discuss the proposed reductions to the 2014 RVOs. The same group of Congressmen met recently with EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy to urge EPA to reconsider the proposed reduction. In the January 24, 2014, letter, the Congressmen stress the potentially negative impact of the proposed reductions on the...