Senate Proceeding on Oct 29th, 2009 :: 2:45:30 to 2:55:30
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2:45:30 to 2:55:30( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Chuck Grassley

2:45:49 to 2:46:12( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: interest and shared support that i make an appeal today to president obama. the environmental agency is currently reviewing a number of proposals that are incredibly important to our nation's ability to reach the potential in terms fuel production. on september 3, i was fortunate

2:46:13 to 2:46:35( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: to host e.p.a. assisted administrator gina mckartdzy and margo orgai, on my family farm in the state of iowa i was happy that they accepted by invitation. it was a very good visit with a tremendous impact that e.p.a. decisions have on the family

2:46:36 to 2:46:57( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: farmer is seen worthwhile for administrator mccarthy and director olgai to see the american agriculture directly through the eyes of a family farmer. i also had the opportunity to share my pending issues and i believe that these

2:46:58 to 2:47:19( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: a welcome audience. the about today relates to the e.p.a.'s proposal to penalize biofuels for greenhouse gas emissions from supposed changes in international -- emphasize

2:47:20 to 2:47:41( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: international -- land use. i know president obama is aware of it to him personally over lunch at the white house on may 6th of this year. the new renewable fuel standard enactein the year requires meet specified life cycle

2:48:06 to 2:48:28( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: relies on incomplete science inaccurate assumptions to penalize u.s. biofuels for so-called indirect land use changes. under ethanol produced from corn reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 16% compared to gasoline.

2:48:29 to 2:48:50( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: however, if you remove the murkry science of emissions from indirect land-use changes, corn ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emission by 61% compared to gasoline and that other figure was just 16% compared to gasoline.

2:48:51 to 2:49:12( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: so science, sound is very -- very environmentally positive. the e.p.a.'s models conclude that changes in land use -- now emphasis upon international land use -- contribute more in greenhouse

2:49:13 to 2:49:33( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: gas direct emissions of ethanol production and use. the fact is measuring indirect emissions of greenhouse gases is far from a perfect science. there's a complexity and uncertainty surrounding this issue.

2:49:34 to 2:49:54( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: that's why senator harkin and i, along with 10 other senators, asked e.p.a. earlier this year not to include calculations of indirect land use changes. but the e.p.a. ignored harkin's and my in its proposed rule, the e.p.a.

2:49:55 to 2:50:16( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: grossly underestimates future crop yields that will help meet the demand without requiring new drop cakers. in addition the e.p.a. -- acres. in addition the e.p.a. fails to use the land use credit for the feed value of corn ethanol coal products. similar miscalculationings exist

2:50:17 to 2:50:39( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: for biodiesel just like explained for ethol. the e.p.a. miscalculated the value of coal products with biodiesel production and even included nitrogen penalty. and i want to speak to the nitrogen penalty because it is total ignorance on part e.p.a.

2:50:40 to 2:51:02( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: farmers know that growing soybea nitrogen use. soybeans capture nitrogen and return it into the soil naturally. during the consideration of the interior appropriations bill, senator harkin filed an amendment to block the e.p.a. from including the international

2:51:03 to 2:51:23( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: component of the land use change calculation. in response e.p.a. administrator jackson sent a congress claiming that the amendment would prevent them from carrying out their statutory obligations. there are two points that need to be made with regard to administrator jackson's letter to us in the congress.

2:51:45 to 2:52:05( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: "direct emissions and significant indirect such as significant emissions from land use changes." end of quote. if the e.p.a. can't determine the impact of land use changes with any degree of certainty, how can it it it be sure -- how

2:52:06 to 2:52:27( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: can it be sure the impact is significant? isn't there -- isn't there same probability that it's entirely insignificant? importantly the house of representatives demonstrated its look of confidee in the e.p.a.'s handling of this issue during its demonstration of the

2:52:28 to 2:52:48( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: climb bill in that bill, eriksson and pelosi and waxman agreed to an amdment that recognized that there is no scientific agreement or no consensus that links u.s. biofuels production to international land use changes.

2:52:49 to 2:53:10( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: the amendment blocked e.p.a.'s consideration of international land use changes for five years. until it can measure it using what we ought to expect them to use, sound science. so there is strong bipartisan on the record opposition to e.p.a.'s findings in this area.

2:53:11 to 2:53:32( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: so i hope e.p.a. gets the message. the second issue pertains to the volume mandates required for biodiesel under the expanded renewable fuel standard. the rs-2 requires the use of 500 million of biodiesel in 2009

2:53:33 to 2:53:54( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: and 250,000 in 2010. e.p.a.'s rule making to implement these requirements has not yet been finalized and may not be until next year. the u.s. biodiesel producers are in a tough financial situation much they need this mandate, which congress did enact, to ensure domestic marketplace for thr renewable fuels.

2:54:38 to 2:54:59( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: taken to immediately implement the finally, the e.p.a. continues to delay in approving higher blends of ethanol in our transportation fuels. earlier this year a number of ethanol producers submitted a request to higher blends of ethanol. currently ethanol blends are

2:55:00 to 2:55:21( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: limited 10% in nonflex fuel vehicles. the waiver request is simply ethanol to be blended at 15% instead of 10%. while the waiver request was submitted in march, the e.p.a. has not made a decision. the e.p.a.'s delay in considering this request is having a negative impact on u.s.

2:55:22 to 2:55:30( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: ethanol producers and is harming consumers who would otherwise benefit from lower prices at the pump. the delay is also putting off our efforts to use more