EPA Asked for Delay on Land Use Rules
Scientists are concerned that EPA might rely on earlier faulty research.
Compiled by staff
Published: Nov 5, 2008
Several academia scholars wrote a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Stephen Johnson seeking to delay rulemaking regarding emissions from land use changes some consider related to biofuels productions.
In their letter, the group of scholars stated that it is not presently possible to determine indirect emissions from land use changes associated with increased biofuels production. "There are no generally accepted methods for determining indirect land use change, or for that matter, any indirect (market-driven) change, and there is no way to apply even current methods in any meaningful way to the choices a farmer makes," the scientists write. "We are not aware of a single published paper in the lifecycle literature using indirect effects, and the International Standards Organization (ISO) has published no standards for analyzing indirect (market-driven) effects."
Signing the letter to Johnson were Dr. Bruce Dale, Michigan State University; Dr. Kenneth Moore, Iowa State University; Dr. David Bransby, Auburn University; Dr. Robert Brown, Iowa State University; Dr. Brian Davidson, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Dr. Neal Gutterson, Mendel; and Dr. Richard Hamilton, Ceres.
The group also expressed concern that the EPA would rely on research released earlier this year, which was based on what they consider faulty assumptions. They pointed out that new research is underway that is more comprehensive, and asked for a delay in action by the agency.
Source: Feedstuffs
Permalink: Click here
Tagged: EPA, biofuels, Environmental Protection Agency, Iowa State University
|