Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) praised the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Thursday after it denied the first request received by the agency to reduce the nationwide Renewable Fuels Standard (RSF) since the standards first became law in 2005.

“Today’s ruling is a victory for clean energy, rural America and national security, and a blow to those who have used ethanol as a scapegoat for rising fuel and food prices,” Grassley said. “The bottom line is that ethanol is extending our fuel supply and actually lowering gas prices.”

“After reviewing the facts, it was clear this request did not meet the criteria in the law,” said EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson. “The RFS remains an important tool in our ongoing efforts to reduce America’s greenhouse gas emissions and lessen our dependence on foreign oil, in aggressive yet practical ways.”

The RFS program mandates an increase in the total volume of renewable fuels — like ethanol and biodiesel — to be blended with gasoline from 9 billion gallons in 2008 to 36 billion gallons in 2022. It was initiated by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, and the standards were increased by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.

“I am greatly disappointed with the EPA’s inability to look past the good intentions of this policy to see the significant harm it is doing to farmers, ranchers and American households,” Perry said. “For the EPA to assert that this federal mandate is not affecting food prices not only goes against common sense, but every American’s grocery bill.”

The EPA can waive the RFS if it finds that the standards would cause “severe harm” to the economy or environment. The EPA, after consulting with the Departments of Energy and Agriculture, found that the standards were not causing such harm.

“Congress specifically created an emergency waiver provision for situations like these and EPA refuses to implement it,” Perry said.