The National Petrochemical and Refiners Association filed a legal challenge against the California Air Resources Board regarding California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, according to a news release from the NPRA.

“The California LCFS is unlawful for a number of reasons, including the fact that it violates the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution by imposing undue and unconstitutional burdens on interstate commerce,” said Charles T. Drevna, NPRA president. “California’s LCFS also would have little or no impact on GHG emissions nationwide and would harm our nation’s energy security by discouraging the use of Canadian crude oil – our nation’s largest source of crude – and ethanol produced in the American Midwest.”

Discouraging the use of North American transportation fuel sources would create additional burdens for California’s consumers and economy, increase the nation’s reliance on energy from other countries, and weaken national security, he said. Drevna argued that the fuel prohibited from use in California will still be used elsewhere.

“The California LCFS is unfortunately only one element of a broader effort to impose various low-carbon fuel standards at the state, regional, and national levels,” he said. “All of them share some of the same fundamental shortcomings. The widespread production, distribution, and use of alternative fuels that would be required under any LCFS poses significant environmental and technological challenges. Further, any LCFS may either simply be unachievable or bring about significant negative impacts on American consumers and on our nation’s environment, food supply, and energy security.”