Reps. David Young, R-Iowa, and Collin Peterson, D-Minn., have introduced a bill that aims to reallocate waived renewable fuel obligations and require the U.S. EPA to disclose refineries that received small refinery hardship waivers.

The bill, H.R. 6731, was introduced Sept. 7 and referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Under the legislation, for any calendar year for which a small refinery hardship waiver is authorized, the EPA would be required to reallocate, in a manner determined appropriate by the EPA administrator, each gallon of renewable fuel covered by such exemption to obligated parties under the Renewable Fuel Standard.

The bill also stipulates that any information submitted to the EPA with respect to a small refinery hardship petition would not be deemed to be a trade secret or confidential information and would be subject to public disclosure.

Information released by Young’s office notes that 2.25 billion gallons of RFS demand have been destroyed over the past two years due to an unprecedented number of small refinery hardship waivers.

"The previous EPA administrator undercut the Renewable Fuel Standard by giving so-called hardship waivers to companies, some of which made a $1 billion profit last year. This legislation will restore our commitment to renewable fuels and keep the promise made by the government to our farmers, producers, and businesses. It will also end the secretive practice the EPA has used to issue these waivers behind closed doors with no transparency for the American people," Young said.

“The EPA continues to chip away at the RFS by granting unjustified waivers to refineries. This bill will keep EPA accountable for maintaining the renewable volume obligations set each year, and shed a light on secret deals that are hurting corn and soybean farmers in my district,” said Peterson added.

A full copy of the bill can be downloaded from Young’s website.