By Gary Truitt
In our world of extremes, the concept of balance has been lost. Today, something is either right or wrong, offensive or acceptable. There are only two opposite solutions to a problem or position on an issue. Perhaps this is a result of our digital age where everything is made up of 0s and 1s, not 0.5. This is the case for an important agricultural issue currently in the headlines.
Of late, the ethanol industry has been obsessed with the issue of small refiner waivers. This is not a new program but has been part of the Renewable Fuels Standard since the beginning. At first, the EPA only granted these waivers to refineries facing bankruptcy. In 2017, a court ruled that the agency was too strict and should grant the waivers to those facing “significant economic hardship” from complying with the terms of the RFS. The EPA then started granting more waivers, and that caught the attention of the renewable fuels sector.