New Hampshire is quietly forging ahead with its effort to reduce the threat of the gasoline additive MTBE. The additive improves air quality, but it has also contaminated ground water. New Hampshire is seeking permission to design its own gasoline ? one that would burn cleanly, but could contain almost no MTBE. But even if the state wins approval for a new gasoline, it?s not clear whether any refineries will choose to make it. NHPR?s Doug MacPherson reports.
BACK IN 1994, AIR QUALITY IN SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE WASN?T CLEAN ENOUGH TO MEET FEDERAL STANDARDS. NEW HAMPSHIRE FACED A CHOICE. IT COULD EITHER TAKE A VARIETY OF MEASURES ? SUCH TAILPIPE TESTING OF ALL VEHICLES ? OR IT COULD REQUIRE THE SALE OF REFORMULATED GASOLINE IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE STATE. LIKE MANY STATES, NEW HAMPSHIRE CHOSE THE LATTER, AND JOINED THE E-P-A?S REFORMULATED GAS PROGRAM. THE GAS CONTAINED M-T-B-E -- A SO-CALLED OXYGENATOR. ADDING OXYGEN MAKES COMBUSTION IN A CAR?S ENGINE MORE COMPLETE ? RESULTING IN LESS HARMFUL EMISSIONS. IN 1997, THE STATE CHOSE TO STAY IN THE E-P-A?S PROGRAM ? KNOWING FULL WELL THAT IT COULDN?T OPT-OUT UNTIL TWO-THOUSAND-AND-FOUR AT THE EARLIEST. THE PRESCRIBED LENGTH OF THE PROGRAM WAS A CONCESSION BY THE
E-P-A TO INDUSTRY, WHICH HAD INVESTED IN PRODUCING M-T-B-E.
BUT THEN PROBLEMS WITH M-T-B-E BEGAN TO EMERGE. KENT FINEMORE IS WITH NEW HAMPSHIRE?S DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES.
TAPE KENT FINEMORE 175 anytime that there?s a gasoline spill, m-t-b-e, because of its physical characteristics ? solubility in water ? tends to travel pretty readily in groundwater and other water resources. :12
OF COURSE, ANY KIND OF GASOLINE IN WATER IS POISONOUS. BUT WHEN GAS CONTAINING M-T-B-E SPILLS ON THE GROUND OR LEAKS FROM AN UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK ? THE M-T-B-E IS LIKELY TO TRAVEL FAR, AND THUS INCREASE THE CONTAMINATION OF GROUNDWATER. NOT A GOOD THING IN A STATE WHERE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS RELY ON WELLS FOR THEIR DRINKING WATER.
IN RESPONSE TO THE PROBLEM, NEW HAMPSHIRE ADOPTED A TWO-PRONG STRATEGY. U-S SENATOR BOB SMITH HAS TRIED TO CONVINCE HIS COLLEAGUES TO ALLOW STATES TO BAN M-T-B-E. SO FAR, HE HASN?T HAD MUCH SUCCESS. MEANWHILE, THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES IS ASKING E-P-A TO ALLOW NEW HAMPSHIRE TO BECOME THE FIRST STATE TO OPT OUT OF THE REFORMULATED GAS PROGRAM EARLY. UNDER FEDERAL RULES, FOR THE E-P-A TO EVEN CONSIDER THE STATE?S REQUEST, NEW HAMPSHIRE MUST DESIGN ITS OWN REFORMULATED GASOLINE ? OR R-F-G ? ONE THAT WOULD BURN AS CLEANLY AS GAS WITH M-T-B-E. AGAIN, KENT FINEMORE.
TAPE KENT FINEMORE 299 we?d like to specify a gasoline which has essentially the same environmental benefits of RFG, but is not required to contain the minimum oxygen content, and therefore take away the incentive for refiners to use a lot of mtbe. :16
TO BE CLEAR: NEW HAMPSHIRE ISN?T ASKING FOR PERMISSION TO BAN THE SALE OF M-T-B-E GAS. UNDER CURRENT LAW, THE E-P-A COULDN?T APPROVE SUCH A REQUEST. WHAT NEW HAMPSHIRE IS ASKING IS TO BE ALLOWED TO ALSO SELL A NEW BLEND OF GAS ? A BLEND NO ONE IS CURRENTLY MAKING. NEW HAMPSHIRE DOESN?T SPECIFY WHAT THIS NEW GAS WOULD CONTAIN, ONLY THE EMISSIONS LEVELS IT WOULD HAVE TO MEET. THERE ARE SEVERAL ADDITIVES OTHER THAN OXYGENATORS THAT REFINERS COULD CHOOSE FROM ? OR THEY COULD SIMPLY REFINE THEIR CURRENT FORMULAS TO BURN CLEANER.
THE QUESTION IS: WOULD ANYONE WANT TO MAKE A GAS TO NEW HAMPSHIRE?S SPECIFICATIONS?
JASON GRUMET SAYS YES. GRUMET IS HEAD OF NESCAUM, AN ASSOCIATION OF THE AIR POLLUTION PROGRAMS OF NORTHEAST STATE GOVERNMENTS. GRUMET SAYS REFINERS WOULD LIKE TO AVOID THE RELATIVELY HIGH COST OF M-T-B-E.
TAPE JASON GRUMET, TRACK 18, 253 by lifting the oxygen mandate, what you?re in essence doing is enabling the oil industry and refiners to achieve the clean performance standards in whatever economic way they choose. so there is absolutely no question that you can achieve those same standards and save money for the consumer if the oxygen mandate were lifted, and refiners had the choice whether or not to use mtbe or these other chemicals. :28
PATTY AHO DISAGREES. AHO, A LOBBYIST FOR THE AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE, SAYS NEW HAMPSHIRE?S SPECIFICATIONS WOULD RESULT IN WHAT THE INDUSTRY CALLS A ?BOUTIQUE? FUEL ? MEANING A FUEL THAT COULD LEGALLY BE SOLD ONLY IN CERTAIN STATES.
TAPE PATTY AHO, LOBBYIST FOR THE AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE
654 we are stretched to the breaking point now. To come up with one more boutique fuel really is very detrimental to the current distribution and logistic system. :12
AHO SAYS NATIONALLY, THE INDUSTRY IS ALREADY MAKING 45-DIFFERENT TYPES AND GRADES OF GASOLINE. A-P-I MEMBERS INVESTED IN MAKING M-T-B-E GAS, KNOWING THAT STATES INCLUDING NEW HAMPSHIRE WERE COMMITTED TO SELLING IT UNTIL TWO-THOUSAND- AND-FOUR. AHO SAYS TO MAKE A NEW FUEL JUST FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE WOULD BE COST PROHIBITIVE. OF COURSE, SHE UNDERSTANDS THAT NEW HAMPSHIRE ISN?T FORCING THE INDUSTRY TO DO ANYTHING.
TAPE PATTY AHO 254 we are also concerned with any misperceptions that may be created, that somehow consumers in new hampshire think that they will be getting a different fuel under this particular strategy. And in all likelihood we don?t think they will be getting a different fuel.
BUT WHAT IF NEW HAMPSHIRE RESIDENTS WANT A DIFFERENT FUEL? ASKED IF SHE RECOGNIZES THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS POSED BY M-T-B-E, AHO WILL SAY ONLY THAT A-P-I MEMBERS WANT TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF THEIR PRODUCTS. MICHAEL HANRAHAN, WHO MANAGES ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS FOR IRVING OIL, WHICH DOESN?T BELONG TO A-P-I, IS MORE FORTHCOMING.
TAPE MICHAEL HANRAHAN 6:53 We would love to stop using mtbe if there wasn?t a legal requirement for us to use it. :06
WHAT?S MORE, HANRAHAN IS CONFIDENT THAT IRVING, WHICH IS MEETING THE TOUGHEST GAS EMISSIONS STANDARDS IN THE COUNTRY, COULD ALSO MEET NEW HAMPSHIRE?S STANDARD.
TAPE HANRAHAN We just installed a new gasoline distillation unit, which permits us to produce gasoline meeting California specs. And a couple months ago we started exporting gasoline to California. So we think we?re in a good position to meet our whatever challenges are put forward by our customers in New England. :20
BUT HANRAHAN ALSO SAYS IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT AND POTENTIALLY COSTLY FOR IRVING TO MAKE A GASOLINE SOLELY FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE.
HE HOPES THE NORTHEAST STATES WILL WORK TOGETHER TOWARD A COMMON FUEL. STATE REPRESENTATIVE JEB BRADLEY OF WOLFEBORO, CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY COMMITTEE, HOPES SO TOO.
TAPE REP. JEB BRADLEY 6:28 if the other New England states, and New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware ? the states that have the air quality issues with regard to ozone and have the reformulated gas now, all join together in support of one regional fuel, we will be better able to /// insure that there?s a market for the refining industry to produce a gas that a lot of people will consume. :27
BRADLEY BETS THAT IF NEW HAMPSHIRE WINS APPROVAL TO OPT OUT OF M-T-B-E, OTHER STATES WILL QUICKLY FOLLOW SUIT. AND HE BELIEVES A GOOD SIZED MARKET IS ABOUT ALL THE INCENTIVE THAT INDUSTRY NEEDS TO PRODUCE A CLEAN GAS WITHOUT M-T-B-E.
TAPE BRADLEY 4:07 I think they?ve seen the handwriting on the wall: that eventually mtbe is going to be phased out of gasoline. :06
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE E-P-A SAYS THE AGENCY WILL ACT AS QUICKLY AS IT CAN TO APPROVE OR REJECT NEW HAMPSHIRE?S APPLICATION. QUICKLY IS A RELATIVE TERM HERE ? D-E-S OFFICIALS BELIEVE THE PROCESS COULD TAKE E-P-A A YEAR. BUT THEY SAY THEIR OVERRIDING CONCERN IS TO GET THE BALL ROLLING JUST AS SOON AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN? TOWARDS AN ALTERNATIVE TO M-T-B-E. FOR N-H-P-R NEWS, I?M DOUG MACPHERSON.
