Times Are Tough on the Farm & Politics Aren’t Helping

How hardship wavers create devastating ripple effect

The EPA’s decision to grant hardship waivers to three Andeavor refineries, despite the corporation’s net profits of nearly $1.5 billion last year, took away the requirement that a percentage of all oil is blended with corn-based ethanol.

 Sombke explains that this decision does nothing to help already low commodity prices and contradicts the Trump Administration’s previous support for renewable fuels. Ethanol is an industry, South Dakota corn producers depend upon to market their harvested corn each year.

 “This President was elected with overwhelming support from rural Americans and family farmers and ranchers, has undermined them with his current waiver,” Sombke said. “However, when we need this administration the most, we are getting broken promises.”

 The hardship waiver will be granted to refineries producing less than 75,000 barrels a day who can demonstrate a “disproportionate economic hardship” from RFS compliance costs.