EPA director facing backlash from farmers over ethanol

MINNEAPOLIS — Deep in the heart of Trump country, Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt is being met with protests by farmers and ethanol producers concerned that he is undermining the industry with his strong support of oil and gas.

Their unhappiness is being broadcast on billboards, at rallies and in meetings the EPA chief is holding during a tour of heartland states, and comes as Pruitt battles a series of allegations of ethical misconduct back in Washington.

The farmers argue that Pruitt’s actions have hammered demand for ethanol, hurting both ethanol and corn prices. They want Pruitt to keep President Trump’s promises to support the ethanol industry.

“Agriculture is not very happy with Mr. Pruitt at this point,” said David Fremark, whose family grows about 11,000 acres of corn, sorghum, soybeans and spring wheat near Miller, S.D.

Corn producers — some arriving in a line of tractors — timed a rally in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Wednesday to coincide with Pruitt’s visit for a private meeting with farmers. Fremark was at the meeting.

“He’s done some good things, but this far and away overshadows everything he’s done,” Fremark said of the EPA administrator, a champion of regulation-cutting. “We’re glad that he came out to hear what we have to say. But I think what we had to say fell on deaf ears. ... He’s not acting like our friend.”

Pruitt, a Republican and the former attorney general of Oklahoma, also met with Kansas farmers Tuesday and toured a large ethanol plant in Nebraska on Thursday.

The farm-state trouble is adding to criticism of Pruitt from Republican lawmakers, growing numbers who already were joining Democrats in faulting the EPA head over allegations he has exploited his office for first-class travel, jobs for his wife and other perks.

Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa told an energy group last week that Pruitt had lied to lawmakers on the ethanol issue, and added that Pruitt was “about as swampy as you get.”

Farmers and ethanol producers say EPA’s practice under Pruitt has been to grant more waivers to refineries that allow them to reduce how much ethanol they have to blend into gasoline. That, they say, has resulted in a large decrease in demand for ethanol.

Steve Karnowski and Ellen Knickmeyer are Associated Press writers.