The Trump administration has decided to keep waiving some oil refineries from U.S. biofuel mandates, despite pressure from ethanol advocates to end the practice, according to three people familiar with the matter. The Environmental Protection Agency is weighing applications from 15 refineries for exemptions, even as regulators examine how to assess whether the facilities face a “disproportionate” economic hardship in satisfying annual biofuel blending quotas. Waivers will still be issued despite that review, which was prompted by a July federal court ruling faulting the EPA for denying a West Virginia refinery’s waiver request, said the people, who asked not to be named discussing internal policy decisions. The decision to keep issuing waivers is a blow to ethanol producers and agricultural interests that have argued the practice undermines the 13-year-old Renewable Fuel Standard designed to encourage biofuel such as corn-based ethanol and soybean-based biodiesel. The EPA also will […]