Sen. Chuck Grassley Encouraged After Ethanol Meeting With Trump

Sen. Chuck Grassley left an Oval Office meeting with Donald Trump on Tuesday encouraged that the Environmental Protection Agency understands the president intends to meet promised production targets for ethanol and other biofuels.“I left the meeting satisfied that the president was saying the same thing — and Wheeler heard him say it — said we got to produce 15 billion gallons,” Grassley said Wednesday, referring to EPA Director Andrew Wheeler.Grassley told reporters by phone that he’ll wait for the EPA’s next step before he’s satisfied the EPA will address its granting of waivers to refineries that he believes has reduced the amount of ethanol blended with conventional fuels from the 15 billion gallons a year required by law to slightly more than 13 billion gallons.During the meeting between the president and another senator, who Grassley did not name, the Iowa Republican said he told Trump EPA action since the September meeting “leaves a lot of questions whether or not we’re going to get the 15 billion gallons that we said we were going to get.”The Renewable Fuel Standard allows the EPA to provide waivers to small refineries that can demonstrate compliance would create economic hardships.