The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it would deny 54 out of 68 orders placed by small oil refineries to be retroactively released from compliance with biofuel blending requirements.

"This decision comes after President Trump has promised to promote domestic biofuel manufacturing, support the country's rural producers and strengthen our energy independence," EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a statement.

Mandatory biofuel blending volumes in the U.S. are not being met because small oil refineries turn directly to the EPA to be released from the requirement, claiming that this causes financial difficulties.

In January of this year, a court ruled that only refineries whose exemption had been extended in each of the years after 2010 could be released from the requirement. In addition, it was decided that EPA could only grant exemptions to refineries that proved that the mixing biofuels would be the cause of their financial difficulties.

"We are pleased to see the EPA officially denying 54 of the so-called retroactive exemption requests to small refineries, and we expect something similar to happen with the remaining 14 orders," Geoff Cooper, president of the Renewable Fuels Association, said in a statement. of ethanol.