National Chicken Council Submits Comments To EPA On The RFS Program Standards For 2020 And Biomass-B
On August 30, 2019, the National Chicken Council submitted a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expressing concerns with the proposed required volume obligations (RVO) for 2020 combined with the recent waiver that will increase the use of ethanol-15 (E15) under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Representing companies that produce and process over 95 percent of the chicken in the United States, the National Chicken Council’s concerns are related to its broiler production, which comprises the largest single user of corn not operating under RFS. In its letter, the National Chicken Council claims that under RFS since 2007, broiler producers have faced $68.5 billion in higher feed costs for the production of broiler meat. Calling for greater efforts to create a more sustainable approach under RFS, Mike Brown’s, National Chicken Council President, concluding statements express the view that both the proposed RVOs for 2020 and the waiver allowing for E15 sales year-round are overly aggressive. These measures, according to the letter, are also overly reliant on corn-based ethanol, stating that it is likely to cause disruptions to the feed supply in the U.S.