High court expands eligibility for Clean Air Act exemption

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court says an expanded number of small refineries can seek an exemption from certain renewable fuel requirements. The high court ruled 6-3 on Friday that a small refinery that had previously received a hardship exemption from complying with Clean Air Act requirements may obtain an “extension” of that exemption. That applies even if the refinery let a previous exemption lapse.

The Biden administration argued that to get an extension a refinery had to have maintained a continuous exemption since 2011. Refineries in Wyoming, Utah, and Oklahoma argued that such a requirement would eliminate the exemption for most small refineries in the United States.