EPA extends comment period on biofuel standard

By Ayesha Rascoe

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday said it was extending the comment period on a draft rule that aims to cut greenhouse gases emitted by biofuels.

The proposed changes to the 2007 U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard attempt to make production of corn-based ethanol more efficient and increase output of advanced biofuels.

The comment period on the rule, also known as RFS2, will now end on September 25 instead of July 27.

"With the 60-day comment period extension, EPA seeks to provide the public adequate time to provide meaningful comment while finalizing and implementing the standards in a timely manner," the agency said.

Critics of corn ethanol have blamed the fuel for increasing food prices and indirectly causing greenhouse gas emissions by forcing forests and other lands to be burned abroad to create farmland.

The draft rule would measure any carbon dioxide emissions from these "indirect land use changes." Many corn ethanol producers strongly oppose these measurements, saying that land use estimates are untested and vary widely.

"With the extension, we urge the EPA to be fully transparent and release all data used to model the indirect land use change component so that stakeholders can review and comment on this important provision," said Tom Buis, chief executive of pro-ethanol trade group Growth Energy.

The climate bill recently passed by the House of Representatives included an amendment that would prohibit the EPA from implementing this rule for five years during a study of indirect land use change.

Under this bill, the EPA rule could then take effect only if three federal agencies agree and Congress could intervene to block a rule.

The current renewable standard required 9 billion gallons of renewable fuels such as ethanol to be blended into the nation's gasoline supply last year. The mandate, rising annually, will reach 36 billion gallons in 2022.

(Reporting by Ayesha Rascoe; Editing by Christian Wiessner)