In Rare Instance, Environmentalists Agree with Scott Pruitt’s EPA: Lower Biodiesel Mandates

Mighty Earth and a coalition of environmental groups support the reduction of US biodiesel mandates, arguing that the fuel is not 'green' because it relies on virgin vegetable oils that drive deforestation in Latin America and Southeast Asia. The document highlights that biodiesel production contributes to carbon emissions and water pollution, such as the Gulf of Mexico's Dead Zone. While the EPA initially sought input on reducing mandates, the document notes that President Trump later intervened to reverse this course due to pressure from agricultural lobbying groups.

• Biodiesel is not climate-friendly because the majority of US consumption relies on virgin vegetable oils, primarily soy, which are linked to massive deforestation in Latin America and Southeast Asia.
• Biofuel production in the US has led to the conversion of over 7 million acres of prairie, grassland, and forest to agricultural use since 2007, contributing to pesticide and fertilizer run-off that pollutes waterways and fuels algal blooms in Lake Erie and the Gulf of Mexico's Dead Zone.
• Mighty Earth and a coalition including the Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth, and the National Wildlife Federation urged the EPA to reduce biodiesel mandates to prevent market openings for production in other regions if imports from Argentina and Indonesia decline.
• Despite the EPA's initial request for public input on reducing mandates, President Trump intervened to reverse the proposal following backlash from corn and soy lobbying groups and the Midwestern delegation.

APA

Jones, S. (2017). In Rare Instance, Environmentalists Agree with Scott Pruitt’s EPA: Lower Biodiesel Mandates. Mighty Earth. https://mightyearth.org/article/statement-rose-garr-mighty-earth-environmental-group-chaired-former-congressman-henry-waxman/

Chicago

Jones, Sydney. In Rare Instance, Environmentalists Agree with Scott Pruitt’s EPA: Lower Biodiesel Mandates. Mighty Earth, 2017. https://mightyearth.org/article/statement-rose-garr-mighty-earth-environmental-group-chaired-former-congressman-henry-waxman/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Jones |first1=Sydney |title=In Rare Instance, Environmentalists Agree with Scott Pruitt’s EPA: Lower Biodiesel Mandates |publisher=Mighty Earth |date=23 October 2017 |url=https://mightyearth.org/article/statement-rose-garr-mighty-earth-environmental-group-chaired-former-congressman-henry-waxman/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{jones2017rare, author = {Jones, Sydney}, title = {{In Rare Instance, Environmentalists Agree with Scott Pruitt’s EPA: Lower Biodiesel Mandates}}, publisher = {Mighty Earth}, year = {2017}, month = oct, url = {https://mightyearth.org/article/statement-rose-garr-mighty-earth-environmental-group-chaired-former-congressman-henry-waxman/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }