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1 • Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018 - Shopper’s Guide

Serving the communities in Stephenson County

Shopper’s Guide

VOL. 80 • NO. 36

Fall Festival 5K Run/Walk Sat., Sept. 8, 2018 Race starts at 8:30 a.m. at Lions Park Registration is at 7:30 a.m.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 5, 2018

Congresswoman Bustos visits Adkins Energy LLC EDITOR

U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos participated Monday in a “Cheri on Shift” at Adkins Energy LLC in Lena where Congresswoman Bustos briefly assumed the duties of a Biodiesel Operational Specialist and performed sample testing for corn quality before it is processed to become a biofuel. The event allowed her to hear directly about what’s on the minds of hardworking men, women and job creators across the 17th Congressional District. Biofuels, like ethanol and biodiesel, replace toxic chemicals in gasoline that are proven to cause cancer and smog. Each year, biofuel production and use decreases greenhouse gas emissions by an amount equivalent to removing 20 million cars from the road. Adkins Energy General Manager Ray Baker and Adkins staff members welcomed Rep. Bustos and the opportunity to discuss issues faced by the biofuel industry in general and the Adkins facility in particular. “We think we are pretty unique in the industry in that we have a biodiesel plant that is co-located,” said Baker. “The corn oil that we take out of our ethanol plant goes straight over to the biodiesel plant and we are able to make another renewable fuel or two renewable fuels out of the same corn kernel. We want a chance to show her that and then also talk with her about some of the issues the industry is facing.” He noted the progress made by the biofuel industry, but said considerable work remains; specifically, improved market access for higher ethanol blends, a concession most likely achieved with a Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) waiver. RVP is the measure of how quickly fuel evaporates. Due to an antiquated 1990 regulation, the federal government holds 15-percent ethanol blends (E15) to stricter benchmarks than

standard gasoline during the summer months. Meaning that between June 1 and September 15, consumer access to cleaner, more affordable fuel choices is restricted, simply because E15 was not around when the regulation was written. “We would like an RVP waiver that would allow us to sell E15 throughout the summer months,” said Baker. So, it’s something that’s very difficult for investors and retailers who want to put in infrastructure to sell E15 or a 15% blend of ethanol which is restricted in the summer. It doesn’t make sense.” Baker said the EPA started talking with Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) to bring the price of RINs or Renewable Identification Numbers down for the oil refineries. “They wanted to make a deal,” said Baker. “So, we sat with them and tried to talk about making a deal and ever since that point in time we’ve attempted many different things, but it hasn’t worked out in a deal and somehow, remarkably, RIN prices for the oil refiners have come down from about $0.99 to about $0.20 through what I call backdoor policies or actions by the EPA.” He said the concessions to the oil industry are fairly well-known and the biofuel industry does not necessarily approve of them. “We’re hoping the President will see that the refiners have gotten what they wanted for their end of the deal and now, we’re looking for what we wanted in our end of the deal,” said Baker. “We feel we’ve already compromised by basically what they’ve been able to achieve through the EPA in that they got their reduced RIN prices and now we’re saying give us our end and, if you want to talk about different things with the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program we’ll do that, but we need to have our end of the bargain upheld first.” The Renewable Fuel Standard is an American federal program that re-

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quires transportation fuel sold in the United States to contain a minimum volume of renewable fuels “I think Representative Bustos has been very supportive of ethanol and agriculture and renewable fuels in general, and I think we’ll continue to see that support,” Baker said. “She really understands the issues and we want to thank her for her support and make sure she has all the facts that we’ve been able to gather in front of her when she is faced with that next question or deal that might come out.” The importance of the ethanol industry to agriculture and rural economies is particularly notable. Continued growth and expansion of the ethanol industry into new technologies and feedstocks will enhance the industry’s position as the original creator of green jobs and will enable America to make further strides toward independence from imported fossil fuels. “I know from my work here that the Adkins facility has helped the local economy and farmers a lot,” said Adkins Energy Board Chair Rod Gieseke. “I’m always concerned about things in Washington that can have a big impact on our income. We’re talking a few cents per gallon, and a few cents per gallon change can have a big impact.” At the end of her “shift” Congresswoman Bustos said she will continue to follow and work in support of the biofuels industry because it is an important driver of the economy. “I think the most important thing we can do is to stay on the EPA Ad-

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State Fair Tractor Pull winners

Jayden and Lucas Bremmer (8-year-old twin brothers) from Pearl City competed in two different weight categories at the Stephenson County fair on July 1 at the kiddie tractor pull. It was sponsored by the Stephenson County Farm Bureau. They each won their pulls and qualified to compete in the Illinois Kiddie Tractor Pull at the Illinois State Fair on August 14. Jayden Bremmer competed in the 46-60 lb. division and received the first place trophy at the state level. Lucas Bremmer pulled in the 61-80 lb. division and received the third place trophy in the state competition. Ross and Melanie Bremmer are their parents. Jayden and Lucas represented Stephenson County in the state pull.

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