Hide Transcript Show Transcript

WEBVTT It's the future of this- that's brought Senator Charles Grasley and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt together in Washington Tuesday. <"ON EVERY FRONT HE'STAKEN SHOTS AT RURAL AMERICA."> 32 senators across party linesare against Pruitt's proposal toslash corn ethanol numbers. Right now Grassley is threatening to block keynominations - to the EPA. Pruiwas in our studios back inAugust, to talk about the renewable fuel standar<"OVERALL I THINK FROM ACONVENTIONAL PERSPECTIVE THEEXPORTING OF ETHANOL WE SHOULDBE OPTIMISTIC AND ENCOURAGEDABOUT WHERE WE'RE HEADED AS A COUNTRY."><"HE'S TRYING TO ROLLBACK THE ENTIRE RENEWABLEFUEL STANDARD AND WE'RE ASKINGFOLKS TO STAND UP AND SAY NO- THIS IS NOT WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMPPROMISED US.">This gold is what drives thefarming industry here in Iowa says the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association. They say Pruitt is answering to his interests in the petroleum industry. <"IFTHAT HAPPENS NOT ONLY WILL TELEVEN- THOUSAND NEW JOBS DISAPPEAR BUT WE'LL CUT BAINTO THE FORTY THOUSAND JOBSTHAT WE HAD BEFORE."> When he was campaigning in Iowa -- Trumppromised if he became president,to protect and grow the industry. <"I COULD JUST SAY IWANT TO DO WELL IN IOWA- I WANTO WIN IN IOWA FOLKS."> <"I REALLY THINK THIS IS A MAKE ORBREAK MOMENT FOR THE PRESIDENTAND HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH RURAL AMERICA.">Supporters of renewable fuels say if Pruitt's proposals gothrough- it would be a nail inthe coffin to an industry Iowa farmers already struggling.<"WE'RE LIKETO SEE THE FARM ECONOMY CRATERAND MAYBE GO BACK TO A FARM DEPRESSION AS BAD AS WE SAW INTHE 1980S.">

Advertisement EPA proposal a ‘make-or-break’ deal for Iowa farmers, jobs Share Shares Copy Link Copy

The future of Iowa's biofuel market could be in jeopardy. Iowa Senator Charles Grassley said he might block President Donald Trump's nominees for key posts at the Environmental Protection Agency. Grassley met with EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt Tuesday to talk about his plans to scuttle the Obama-era "clean power" plan. Monte Shaw, with the Iowa Renewable Fuel Association, said that Trump promised to help grow the biofuels industry and that it is Pruitt's job to follow through on that promise."On every front, he's taken shots at rural America,” Shaw said. Thirty-two senators across party lines have come out against Pruitt's proposal to slash corn ethanol numbers. Pruitt spoke to KCCI in August about the renewable fuel standard. “Overall I think that, from a conventional perspective and the exporting of ethanol, we should be optimistic and encourage about where we’re heading as a country,” Pruitt told KCCI. "He's trying to roll back the entire renewable fuel standard, and we're asking folks to stand up and say ‘No. This is not what President Trump promised us,’” Shaw said.Shaw said Pruitt appears to be answering to his interests in the petroleum industry.. “If that happens not only will the 11,000 new jobs disappear, but we'll cut back into the 40,000 jobs that we had before,” Shaw said. During his campaign and his last visit to Iowa, Trump promised to protect and grow the industry. "I really think this is a make-or-break moment for the president and his relationship with rural America,” Shaw said. Shaw said that right now, a bushel of corn is worth less than it takes to harvest it.Shaw said that if Pruitt's proposals go through it would be a nail in the coffin to an industry of Iowa farmers already struggling. "We're likely to see the farm economy crater and maybe go back to a farm depression as bad as we saw in the 1980s,” Shaw said.Governor Kim Reynolds will hold a press conference at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday to discuss the EPA proposal on the biofuel industry. The conference will be held at Two Rivers Cooperative in Pella. Reynolds will discuss her phone conversation with Trump, which is scheduled for Wednesday morning. The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association will release results from a new expansion economic impact study during the press conference.