An alliance of farm, biofuels, and environmental organizations filed an amicus brief on Jan. 21 in objection to the Safer Affordable Fuel Efficiency Vehicle Rule on the grounds that it both fails to account for toxic pollution from aromatic-laden fuel as well as ignores the important role that ethanol can play in improving fuel efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Finalized last April by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the SAFE Rule reversed an Obama-era rule that called for a 5 percent improvement in vehicle efficiency. In its place, it established a much more meager 1.5 percent increase in efficiency each year for light-duty vehicles. In the notice of proposed rulemaking, EPA requested information on octane levels and how they could be increased in accordance with the Clean Air Act, but ultimately failed to address these concerns in the final rule.
The brief, which is being led by National Farmers Union, also includes support from the Clean Fuels Development Coalition, the Governors’ Biofuels Coalition, Montana Farmers Union, North Dakota Farmers Union, Siouxland Ethanol LLC, South Dakota Farmers Union, Urban Air Initiative and Glacial Lakes Energy.
“As written, the SAFE Rule puts the interests of oil corporations ahead of those of the renewable fuel industry, the environment, or the public at large,” said NFU President Rob Larew in a news release. “Not only will it increase the overall emissions from the U.S. transportation industry, but it will also delay and disincentivize the development and adoption of renewable fuels and cleaner, more efficient vehicles — all of which will erode air quality, contribute to climate change, worsen health outcomes, and increase fuel costs for consumers.”
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