US EPA

EPA announced the release of the final report, Biofuels and the Environment: First Triennial Report to Congress (EPA/600/R-10/183F), prepared by the National Center for Environmental Assessment (now known as the Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment) within EPA’s Office of Research and Development, as the first EPA report published on this issue. This is the first triennial Report to Congress required under Section 204 of the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA).

The 2007 EISA mandates increased for the production of biofuels (fuels derived from organic materials) from 9 billion gallons per year in 2008 to 36 billion gallons per year by 2022. Air and water quality, soil quality and conservation, water availability, ecosystem health and biodiversity, invasive species, and international impacts are assessed, as are opportunities to mitigate these impacts. Section 204 of the EISA also requires that the EPA assess and report to Congress every three years on the current and potential future environmental and resource conservation impacts associated with increased biofuel production and use.

The feedstocks compared in this qualitative assessment of peer-reviewed literature include corn starch, soybeans, corn stover, perennial grasses, woody biomass, algae, and waste. Biofuels compared include conventional and cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel. This report concludes that (1) the extent of adverse impacts to date are limited in magnitude and are primarily associated with the intensification of corn production; (2) whether future impacts are positive or negative will be determined by choice of feedstock, land use change, cultivation, and conservation practices; and (3) realizing potential benefits will require implementation and monitoring of conservation and best management practices, improvements in production efficiency, and implementation of innovative technologies at commercial scales. This report provides a foundation for comprehensive environmental assessments of biofuel production.

EISA Section 204 calls for EPA to report to Congress on the environmental and resource conservation impacts of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program, specifically air and water quality, water quantity, ecosystem health and biodiversity, soil quality, invasive species, and international impacts. This report is the first of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) reports to Congress required under the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA).

U.S. EPA. Biofuels and the Environment: First Triennial Report to Congress (Final Report, 2011). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-10/183F, 2011.