Senators Want EPA to Waive Future Ethanol Mandates

A group of Senate Republicans want the Environmental Protection Agency to consider waiving ethanol production mandates, amid rising food prices, the Associated Press reported Monday.

Twenty-two Republican senators, including presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), sent a letter to the EPA, saying the agency has the authority to waive a law requiring a five-fold increase in U.S. ethanol production by 2022, AP said.

Lawmakers are asking questions about the potential unintended consequences of using corn for fuel amid rising global demand for food, AP reported.