DTN writer Todd Neeley reported yesterday that, “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continues to look at whether it can approve the use of E15 year-round, EPA’s Administrator Scott Pruitt said on Tuesday during his first appearance before the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

“As members of Congress continue to explore possible reform to the Renewable Fuel Standard and amid pressure from petroleum refiners to waive RFS requirements, the expansion of the E15 market continues to be a top priority for the ethanol industry.

“Allowing year-round E15 sales would bolster demand for corn, and as a result, would boost markets for other feedstocks used for cellulosic ethanol and other advanced biofuels.”

Mr. Neeley explained that, “Federal law currently forbids the sale of E15 from June 1 to Sept. 15. The ethanol industry continues to push for EPA to extend the waiver for Reid Vapor Pressure, or RVP, to E15. Currently, E15 sales are restricted in nearly two-thirds of the country during the summer months because of ozone concerns.”

The DTN article added that, “Brian Jennings, CEO of the American Coalition for Ethanol, said his group was encouraged by Pruitt’s testimony.

“‘ACE members are grateful Administrator Pruitt is committed to completing the review of EPA’s legal authority to provide RVP relief for E15 and higher blends and that he reiterated the agency’s interest in how high-octane fuels can meet fuel efficiency standards,’ Jennings said in a statement.”

Barbara Soderlin reported yesterday at the Omaha World-Herald Online that, “Nebraska won’t go as far as other states and ban or limit use of a controversial weedkiller this year.

A news release last week from Purdue University indicated that, “Presentations by Jason Henderson, director of Purdue Extension, and Katie Dilse, a dynamic motivational speaker noted for her work in the agricultural industry, are among the highlights of the 2018 Midwest Women in Agriculture Conference, Feb. 20-22 at the Horizon Convention Center in Muncie.

“This year’s agenda is one of the most ambitious in conference history, covering a wide range of timely, critical issues for women in all sectors of the agricultural industry, said Courtney Stierwalt, county director of Purdue Extension-Fountain County and one of the conference organizers.

“‘Attendees leave the conference with new information and networks that in turn become vital resources for their operations,’ Stierwalt said. ‘It does not matter if you are just starting out or have decades of experience. This conference has something for every participant.'”

The release stated that, “For more information or to sign up, go to the conference website at https://ag.purdue.edu/extension/WIA/Pages/default.aspx.”

DTN writer Todd Neeley reported on Friday that, “Michael Stamp, the former owner of Decatur, Michigan-based Stamp Farms LLC, and two of his associates have been indicted on 14 counts of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and making false statements to attain loans and crop insurance, according to an indictment unsealed by a federal district court. A grand jury handed down the indictment on Dec. 13.

“Stamp Farms filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2012 after Wells Fargo initiated action against Stamp on June 30, 2012. The bank found Stamp Farms in noncompliance on loan agreements, including working capital and other ratios.

“The indictment, which was unsealed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan on Jan. 18, also names James Leonard Becraft, Jr., and Douglas Edward Diekman as co-conspirators.”

The DTN article noted that, “According to court documents in Stamp’s individual bankruptcy case, Wells Fargo claimed it had made a $68 million loan in December 2011 based on representations that Stamp Farms and its affiliates farmed 46,000 acres. Audits later could uncover only about 27,000 acres, the bank claimed.”

Mr. Neeley added that, “Starting in 2011, the indictment said, Stamp needed money to keep his farm going and to pay off an outstanding loan. Between March and December, the grand jury alleges, Stamp provided false information to obtain about $68 million in credit from Wells Fargo. He did so, the indictment said, by misrepresenting the amount of land he farmed and the value of his farming assets.

“When the bank extended his credit, the indictment said, Stamp continued to provide false information about his operation. In addition, the grand jury said Stamp submitted false claims to the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation in order to get crop insurance payments.”

DTN writer Todd Neeley reported earlier this week that, “The national stay on the 2015 waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule is expected to be lifted following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling Monday that any legal challenges to the rule must take place in federal district courts and not at the appellate level.

“However, that doesn’t necessarily mean the previous administration’s rule will take effect. That’s because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed a rule to put the brakes on the WOTUS rule prior to the Supreme Court’s ruling, putting in place a two-year delay on the effective date while EPA undertakes a broader rewrite.

“EPA spokesperson Liz Bowman offered the following statement on the Supreme Court decision: ‘The Trump administration saw this decision coming and put a plan in place to level the playing field and ensure certainty for states and regulated community. The Trump administration’s stay of the 2015 WOTUS rule will very likely be complete before any change in court jurisdiction can be finalized, or the Obama administration’s overreaching definition of WOTUS can be implemented.'”

Mr. Neeley explained that, “The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati issued a national stay of the rule in response to lawsuits across the country and lingering questions about the rule’s legality.

“Agriculture, other industry groups, and state governments across the country alleged the Obama administration’s rule expanded federal jurisdiction to waters not traditionally protected by the Clean Water Act. Even prior to the completion of the rule, farmers and ranchers faced uncertainty as to which waters were considered jurisdictional. So far, neither Congress nor the EPA has been able to make the law more understandable.”

DTN writer Todd Neeley reported yesterday that, “More farmers likely will be filing Chapter 12 bankruptcy in 2018, as they continue to struggle with costs of production exceeding commodity prices, ag lender CoBank said in a new report.

“The CoBank report, ‘Forces that will shape the U.S. rural economy in 2018,’ said commodity price depression from surpluses around the world will make for another belt-tightening year for farmers who will continue to see working capital diminish.

“As a result, CoBank said, more producers are likely to turn to Chapter 12.”

Mr. Neeley also noted that, “The number of Chapter 12 filings has been on the rise since 2014, according to CoBank. There were about 380 filings in 2014. That number spiked to just more than 500 in 2017, according to the report.”

“Chapter 12 is designed specifically for farmers with regular annual income and allows them to stop debt collection and establish repayment plans of three to five years with creditors. The law also allows farmers to restructure debt without forming creditors’ committees,” the DTN article said.

Wall Street Journal writers Ryan Dezember and Peter Rudegeair reported today that, “When Blackstone Group LP wanted to borrow hundreds of millions of dollars to buy foreclosed homes after the housing crash, it needed a quick, inexpensive way to value thousands of houses the investment firm already owned and was offering as collateral.