Farmer leaders of the American Soybean Association (ASA) and Iowa Soybean Association once again had the chance to communicate soybean policy priorities to officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey.

Upon invitation from Senator Grassley, EPA officials, including Director of the EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality Margo Oge and Assistant Administrator for the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation Regina McCarthy visited Iowa State University’s (ISU) BioCentury Research Farm, as well as the farming operation of Iowa producers and ASA members Rick and Grant Kimberly on Sept. 3.

ASA Vice President Ray Gaesser and former ASA President Ron Heck joined the group, where they spoke about the innovative practices and technologies they are employing on their family farming operations to increase yields and boost productivity while protecting the environment. This was a perfect segue into the group’s discussion on the EPA’s Proposed Rule for the expanded Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS-2).

"The meetings and information sharing between EPA and the attendees at the various gatherings was nothing short of fantastic," said Gaesser, a soybean producer from Corning, Iowa. "I hope that many of the issues concerning greenhouse gas and biodiesel will be worked out."

Heck reports that after a presentation on a statistical analysis of indirect land use change from ISU Professor Robert Brown, EPA asked that his charts be submitted to them for consideration. "They were starting to get the point that there were some problems with their assumptions," Heck said.

ASA has many concerns with the EPA’s Proposed Rule for RFS-2 including: international indirect land use assumptions in calculating greenhouse gas analysis that would disqualify soy biodiesel from eligibility under RFS-2; unnecessary and onerous feedstock certification requirements; and a major error in EPA methodology pertaining to the direct emission calculations for nitrogen in soybean production.

ASA continues to encourage soybean producers and their family and friends to submit comments to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson about the RFS-2 by the Sept. 25 deadline.