Marathon asks EPA for hardship waiver from biofuels law

In Ohio, Marathon Petroleum Corp, the second-biggest refining company in the United States, asked the Environmental Protection Agency for a hardship waiver exempting one of its facilities from the nation’s biofuels law, two sources with knowledge of the application told Reuters.

Ohio-based Marathon made the waiver application for one of its facilities for the 2017 calendar year, according to the sources, who asked not to be named. The sources did not specify which facility the waiver would cover and did not know whether EPA had made a decision.

“Marathon’s smallest refinery is a 93,000 barrel per day plant in Canton, Ohio. While that plant has a nameplate capacity above the 75,000 bpd threshold that EPA uses for “small refineries,” the facility could meet the criteria by operating at reduced rates,” according to Reuters. “Refineries typically bring down units at least once a year for maintenance work, limiting production.”