NEW YORK (Reuters) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has backed off a series of controversial changes to the nation’s renewable fuel program after a massive backlash from corn-state lawmakers, the agency said in a letter to lawmakers seen by Reuters.

The agency will keep renewable fuel volumes at proposed volumes, or greater, and will not pursue allowing exported ethanol to earn credits under the renewable fuel program, EPA administrator Scott Pruitt told a group of corn-state senators in a letter Thursday.