Cantwell urges support for aviation biofuels; Vilsack on free trade agreements
Washington Ag Today July 15, 2010 In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Washington Senator Maria Cantwell is urging the secretary to support public-private initiatives in Washington to develop aviation biofuels for military and commercial aircraft. The letter came to Vilsack as he was meeting with corporate and academic representatives working on aviation biofuel projects, including Boeing Company and Washington State University. The Sustainable Aviation Fuels Northwest project was announced this week with WSU as the project leader. Cantwell, who chairs the Energy Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, says aviation biofuels offer potentially greater economic opportunity for farmers but the biofuels industry will require government support to reach its potential. Many agricultural interests in the Northwest would like to see Congress act on pending free trade agreements. The President has talked up trade recently and at a Congressional budget hearing yesterday Ag Secretary Vilsack was asked about the status of the three pending FTAs. Vilsack: “As it relates to Colombia and Panama we continue to fine tune the negotiations on that. I know there are some environmental issues to be resolved but there is a commitment to getting those resolved and getting those to Congress. As the President indicated he hopeful of having the Korean agreement before he has the opportunity to travel to Korea and I anticipate and expect that shortly after that Congress would have an opportunity to take a look at it.” Canada has already approved an agreement with Colombia putting the U.S. at a tariff disadvantage. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on Northwest Aginfo Net. ?
