Renewable Fuel Producers Oppose EPA Motion In 2013 RFS Case

Oral argument was heard on April 7, 2014, on a joint motion filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit by EPA, API, and AFPM to sever certain issues and hold them in abeyance pending administrative reconsideration. Monroe Energy LLC et al. v. EPA, D.C. Cir., No. 13-1265. According to the Respondent-Intervenors Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), Growth Energy, and Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) in their April 16, 2014, response opposing EPA's motion, severing the case serves no purpose. EPA requested that the API and AFPM petitions be pulled out of the case and held in abeyance arguing that these petitions challenged EPA's decision to use revised fuel production and consumption estimates in the 2013 final RFS and to add a small refinery exemption. They argued that these matters should be held in abeyance while EPA addresses other aspects of the 2013 RFS. The renewable fuel groups countered that no purpose would be served as the case has already been argued and it is too late to sever these issues.