The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has agreed to a deadline of March 30, 2020 for it to complete an anti-backsliding study to determine whether its renewable fuel use requirements for transport affect air quality.

In October 2017, US environmental organisation Sierra Club launched a lawsuit against the EPA Administrator related to the latter’s failure to assess and report on the environmental and resource conservation impacts of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) programme. Its complain also attacked the agency for failing to conduct the anti-backsliding study which would show whether the vehicle and engine air pollutant emissions changes resulting from the RFS renewable fuel volumes adversely impact air quality.

In October 2018, a group of environmental and conservation groups, including Sierra Club, also raised the question why the EPA has illegally allowed millions of acres of wildlife habitat to be converted to corn and soybean crops to meet RFS demand for fuels like ethanol and biodiesel.

 

Article by Renewables Now: US enviro agency to check if renewable fuels make air quality worse