http://ens.lycos.com/ens/may2001/2001L-05-28-09.html
Smith unveils legislation to eliminate MTBE threat WASHINGTON, DC, May 28, 2001 (ENS) - Senator Bob Smith has introduced legislation to ban MTBE and authorize cleanup funds for groundwater contaminated by the gasoline additive. Smith, current chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, introduced new legislation to eliminate the threat posed by the common gasoline additive, methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE). This action follows an MTBE hearing that Smith held in Salem, New Hampshire, in April. "Once released into the environment, whether spilled or leaked out of a storage tank, MTBE quickly finds its way into water supplies rendering them undrinkable," Smith said. "It is critical for Congress to act this year to eliminate this threat from our communities in New Hampshire and across the nation. This is a complex issue, but I am confident that this legislation strikes the right balance between environmental protection, and a stable and reliable fuel supply." MTBE, an oxygenate, is used in regions of the country that are having difficulty complying with toxic air pollution limits in the federal Clean Air Act. The additive allows gasoline to burn more cleanly, and reduces the toxic emissions from automobiles and other gasoline powered vehicles. Smith's bill would ban the use of MTBE in gasoline and allow state governors to waive the oxygen mandate in the Clean Air Act, while preserving the environmental benefits of the air toxics limits in the statute. The legislation would also provide funds to help transition from MTBE to other fuels additives, such as ethanol. The bill would authorize $200 million to be spent from the existing Leaking Underground Storage Tank trust fund to clean up MTBE contamination caused by leaking tanks and to address the integrity of the underground storage tank program. "I am also very pleased that this bill is consistent with the President's National Energy Policy because it will help to reduce the intra-regional patchwork of what are known as "boutique" fuels," Smith said. "This will ease the burden on refineries and fuel supply, which in turn will reduce the risk of increased gas prices for the consumer." Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Please do NOT send "unsubscribe" messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
