US regulators establish freeze on biofuels programme

The US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2017 biofuels programme faces a temporary halt as President Trump’s regulatory freeze kicks in this week (25 January, 2017).

US regulators will delay implementation of this year's biofuels requirements along with 29 other regulations finalised in the last weeks of Barack Obama's presidency, according to a government notice.

Last year, the EPA announced targets for conventional ethanol consumption that meet the goals set forth by Congress in 2007. The EPA fully implemented the 2017 conventional biofuel Renewable Volume Obligation at its statutory 15 billion gallon level.

The Trump administration will use that time to review the regulations and decide if any further action is warranted based on an executive order Trump signed after being sworn in as the 45th president on Friday (20 January,2017), according to a notice that the EPA's acting administrator, Catherine McCabe, issued late Monday (23 January, 2017), seen by the Washington Examiner.

"The temporary delay in effective dates until March 21, 2017, is necessary to give agency officials the opportunity for further review and consideration of new regulations," a pre-publication copy of the notice reads.

The notice will be published in Thursday's Federal Register as a final rule.