A bipartisan group of 156 congressmen sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urging it to act immediately to reduce the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) mandate on corn-based ethanol to head off anticipated corn shortages from the drought. The letter stated, “Relief from the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) is extremely urgent because another short corn crop would be devastating to the animal agriculture industry, food manufacturers, foodservice providers, as well as to consumers. We urge you to adjust the RFS mandate for 2012, to account for the anticipated severe shortage in corn.” The letter was organized by Congressmen Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and Mike McIntyre (D-NC). In response, the Renewable Fuels Association said, “The RFS contains a great deal of flexibility allowing obligated parties to meet RFS requirements in a variety of ways other than blending physical gallons of ethanol. The market is taking advantage of this flexibility as domestic ethanol demand for corn has fallen nearly 15% and production has dropped in the last six weeks. Simply put, the RFS is working and knee-jerk reactions to acts of God will not provide the kind of relief some are seeking.”