The EPA was the one issuing credits, apparently against its own rules. That is arbitrage of something with zero cost and greater-than-zero value in the market, not fraud. There is no "protest" against this rule evident in the article, etc.
Both the Canada Border Services Agency and the US EPA have launched investigations into the possibility of fraud, although the companies claim that the practice was totally legal.
So, according to the article, there is no evidence that there was fraud. But there is apparently a case of poorly designed or executed issuance procedures for these credits.
Also, the idea of the credits is a little odd. To promote the "measurement" of biofuels? Well, they are doing that...so, nobody is doing anything (evidently) against the policy intentions. So, unless there is some form of un-evidenced criminality...this looks like bad rules/management...more than anything else.
Ethics nothwithstanding.
