US Supreme Court Confirms DC Circuit Jurisdiction Over EPA Biofuel Waiver Disputes

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld most of the EPA's 2023 renewable fuel standards but ruled that the agency must revisit its reliance on outdated climate impact data and provide a fuller explanation regarding the effects on endangered species. Despite acknowledging these flaws, the court allowed the biofuel volume requirements for 2023 through 2025 to remain in place, emphasizing the potential disruption that vacating the rule could cause. Separately, the Supreme Court ruled that challenges to EPA decisions on biofuel blending exemptions by small refineries must be heard in the D.C. Circuit, reinforcing a statutory framework for venue allocation under the Clean Air Act. This decision centralized litigation over nationally applicable EPA actions, impacting small refineries that sought waivers based on economic hardship but had their requests denied. These rulings collectively affirm the EPA's biofuel regulatory framework while requiring the agency to address specific procedural and analytical deficiencies.