Ag Headlines, Friday September 11, 2015

$100 Million in Biofuels Grants Announced

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Thursday 21 states will receive a share of $100 million worth of grants through the Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership. The partnership aims to add infrastructure needed to supply more renewable fuel to U.S. consumers. With a more than a one to one match from private and state resources, USDA estimates the grants will support nearly 5,000 pumps at over 1,400 fueling stations across the country. Vilsack said the grant applications “demonstrate the strong demand across the country for cleaner, more affordable fuel," fuels like ethanol. Funding amounts for each state will be announced at a later date. Vilsack also reacted to a study released by the American Petroleum Institute that said the statutory biofuel mandates under the RFS are not feasible to achieve this year and could cause severe harm to consumers and the U.S. economy. API also predicted an increase in gasoline prices and Vilsack said API is making “outrageous” claims based on the study.

USDA Trying to be ‘Equitable’ in Farm Sequestration Cuts

Agriculture Secretary Ton Vilsack said this week USDA wants to treat all producers “equitably” under the across-the-board government spending cuts known as sequestration, according to the Hagstrom Report. The problem for USDA’s Farm Service Agency in dealing with cuts to the Agricultural Risk Coverage program and the Price Loss Coverage program is that the cuts are different in each fiscal year, and the farm programs are based on crop years. Vilsack said the situation shows “how goofy” sequestration is. So far Congress has not come up with an alternative plan to sequestration. USDA sent out a notice in 2013 about expected cuts but has not sent out a notice on cuts since the 2014 farm bill changed many farm programs. DTN reports the fiscal year 2015 payments could take a cut of 7.3 percent during the fiscal year 2016 payments could be cut 6.8 percent.

Arizona Congressman Wants EPA Administrator Impeached

An Arizona Republican wants Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy impeached. The Hill reports Representative Paul Gosar is circulating a resolution calling for the impeachment of McCarthy accusing her of perjury while testifying before Congress earlier this year. Gosar wrote in a letter to his colleagues “this bill holds Administrator McCarthy accountable for her blatant deceptions and unlawful conduct.” Gosar alleges McCarthy has commented perjury several times while testifying to Congress this year while discussing the Agency’s ”Waters of the U.S.,” or Clean Water Rule.

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