A U.S. appeals court on Wednesday said it struck down the Biden administration's decision to deny small refiners "hardship waivers" that exempt them from nation's biofuel mandates, in a win for the refining industry. In July, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) denied almost all outstanding petitions from oil refiners that argued the federal requirement that they blend ethanol and other biofuels into their fuel would cause them financial hardship. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit found in favor of refineries that challenged the EPA's decision, including Ergon, Calumet Shreveport and Placid.
Jones resigned Monday, three days after a formal misconduct complaint was filed in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The prominent bankruptcy judge is accused of failing to disclose a romantic relationship with an attorney who previously worked for a law firm that regularly handled cases in his court.