MTBE Should be Eliminated in California, University Report Recommends to Governor
OAKLAND, Calif., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of California has
delivered to California Gov. Pete Wilson a 61-page report calling for a phase-
out of the controversial additive MTBE from the state's clean-air gasoline
program.
MTBE has leaked into water supplies at numerous locations in California,
and the water contamination has brought widespread objections to its use. The
university report warned that continued use of MTBE can damage California
water supplies, particularly during droughts.
"If MTBE continues to be used at current levels and more sources become
contaminated," the report said, "the potential for regional degradation of
water resources, especially groundwater basins, will increase. Severity of
water shortages during drought years will be exacerbated."
MTBE is methyl tertiary butyl ether, a chemical blamed for water
contamination in California and other states. The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency has classified it as a possible carcinogen, or cancer-
causing agent.
Use of MTBE in California has brought legal actions against oil companies
and gasoline stations. City officials in South Lake Tahoe have declared that
MTBE must be removed from gasoline sold there by mid-1999, and the South Tahoe
Utility District earlier this week sued oil companies to recover water
treatment costs.
"There are significant risks and costs associated with water contamination
due to the use of MTBE," the University of California report said. "...It is
clear we are placing our limited water resources at risk by using MTBE."
The report called for a gradual phase-out of MTBE instead of an immediate
ban. It also called for further study of ethanol, a safe clean-air additive
increasingly used in other states to replace MTBE. It said ethanol combustion
should be studied "before substitution of ethanol for MTBE on a large scale
can be recommended."
all in all it's just a - nother brick in the wall
*** end of story ***
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