U.S. Court Tosses Trump-Era Rule Expanding Sales of Corn-Based Ethanol

Jul 06, 2021

A federal appeals court on Friday struck down a U.S. rule put in place under former President Donald Trump to expand sales of corn-based ethanol, drawing ire from farm and biofuel groups that vowed to work to ensure that such sales continue.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) exceeded its authority by lifting summertime restrictions on the sale of a 15% ethanol fuel blend known as E15. The decision came in a lawsuit by an oil refining trade group challenging the rule.

The EPA in 2019 extended a waiver that allowed year-round sales of E15. Ethanol producers cheered that move, as it would allow expanded sales of the blend.

The American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM), which sued the EPA, welcomed the D.C. Circuit’s ruling.

“There is no ambiguity in statute and the previous administration’s reinterpretation overstepped the will of Congress,” AFPM President Chet Thompson said in a statement.

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Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.