ATA, Others Oppose Invoice That Would Drop Renewable Diesel Labeling
Stakeholders are involved the transfer would depart trucking firms with no method of ascertaining the environmental attributes and sustainability benefits of the gasoline they buy. (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg Information)
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American Trucking Associations and the Truckload Carriers Affiliation have requested U.S. Senate leaders to dam laws that goals to get rid of gasoline pump labeling necessities for renewable diesel gasoline, a transfer the teams contend would trigger confusion for motor carriers concerning what’s being pumped into their vehicles’ tanks.
The laws, sponsored by Republican Sen. John Barrasso — the rating member of the Senate Committee on Power and Pure Assets — would repeal the Federal Commerce Fee’s pump labeling necessities that ATA and TCA contend would trigger diesel prices to rise and go away trucking firms with no method of ascertaining the environmental attributes and sustainability benefits of the gasoline they buy.
“Lately, truck drivers and trucking fleets have bought rising portions of renewable diesel,” stated the joint ATA/TCA letter, dated Nov. 28. “In so doing, they’ve lowered the sum of money they spend on gasoline, decreased their emissions footprint, and been capable of quantify these reductions in response to regulatory calls for or firm sustainability targets.”
The invoice, if it handed, would result in a scenario the place wholesalers, retailers and shoppers wouldn’t totally bear in mind whether or not they’re buying renewable diesel or petroleum diesel blends, in accordance with ATA and TCA.
The invoice, formally referred to as the Renewable Diesel and Sustainable Aviation Gas Parity Act (S. 4038), was launched April 7 and has been referred to committee. Based on congressional data, it has not but been voted on by members. Barrasso has not responded to a request for touch upon the proposed laws.
The laws was described within the Congressional Report as “a invoice to extend the manufacturing and use of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation gasoline, and for different functions.”
“Eliminating the renewable diesel label at gasoline pumps additionally would stop trucking firms from complying with forthcoming federal laws that may obligate lots of them to calculate with precision the quantity of renewable diesel that they eat,” the joint letter stated.
In a separate letter despatched earlier this yr to Barrasso and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, chairman of the Senate Power and Pure Assets Committee, a bunch that included ATA, Natso — an Alexandria, Va.-based affiliation representing the truck cease and journey plaza trade — the Nationwide Affiliation of Comfort Shops; the California Fuels & Comfort Alliance; and SIGMA: America’s Main Gas Entrepreneurs, voiced opposition to the invoice.
The commerce associations on this April 7 letter stated that eliminating the label on the pump would result in a scenario “the place retailers and shoppers will not be totally conscious whether or not they’re buying renewable diesel or petroleum-based diesel — the worth of the 2 can be the identical, moderately than renewable diesel having a price benefit.”
“In mild of the latest Securities and Trade Fee proposed rule that requires sure firms to report climate-related dangers, it’s crucial that truck drivers have seamless entry to info concerning the environmental traits of the gasoline that they buy,” acknowledged the letter. “The renewable diesel label gives that info. Had been it to be eradicated, it might be exceedingly sophisticated and costly for retailers and trucking corporations to establish the carbon footprint of their actions.”
In a Dec. 7 assertion, Natso spokeswoman Tiffany Wlazlowski Neuman reiterated her group’s opposition to the invoice.“Fueling dispensers ought to embody labeling to point renewable content material,” she stated. “Fleets which might be making an attempt to handle an environmental, social and governance (both for themselves or a enterprise companion) want to make sure they’re fueling at acceptable dispensers and are capable of account for the renewable gallons which might be displacing fossil fuels.”
Glen Kedzie, ATA’s power and environmental counsel, informed Transport Subjects, “Sure refineries which have transformed amenities to renewable diesel need to make increased margins promoting the product wholesale. However eradicating the RD label would minimize into the gasoline value reductions that trucking firms get at retail. The label ensures that each gallon of renewable diesel is segregated from petroleum diesel via the provision chain. If they will commingle the gasoline, fleets received’t know what they’re shopping for and the associated fee will likely be increased as a result of renewable diesel will then have to be priced the identical as petroleum diesel.”
Kedzie added, “If producers can commingle the gasoline they’d have the ability to entry a tax credit score; nevertheless fleets would lose out. Fleets would pay the next value for gasoline and it might not be utterly clear as to what’s going within the truck tank.”
