Yesterday, Governor Jeanne Shaheen asked the federal government to allow New Hampshire to escape the requirement that MTBE be added to gasoline.
NHPR's David Darman has more.
Governor Jeanne Shaheen says she's asking the Environmental Protection Agency for permission to stop using M T B E, because it has limited benefit, and because, it may cause cancer when it mixes with drinking water.
17 52 we believe and we?ve invited other new England states or northeastern states to join us that if the epa would allow us to use the reformulated gasoline without the oxyginate, mtbe, that we could still comply with the emissions requirements but yet not be faced with potential contamination of our water supplies. 17 114
Scientists have not found conclusive evidence that M T B E causes cancer, but there are suspicions. Still, just a small amount of the substance can leave a bad taste in drinking water. And State officials say the substance can easily move through ground water, and already contaminates 16 percent of the state?s water supply, and an even greater proportion of wells. Ken Colburn of the state Department of Environmental Services says M T B E was originally mandated by the federal government under the Clean Air Act to help burn gasoline more completely, thus lowering the amount of carbon monoxide in the air.
04 56 ?carbon monoxide isn?t a huge problem in the state of nh anymore. And the other pollution that is a concern, things like ozone and particulates. It turns out that mtbe doesn?t help those very much. 04 111
New Hampshire joins a few other states in asking for release from the M T B E requirement. California requested a release two years ago, but is still waiting for an answer from the Environmental Protection Agency. Despite this, EPA officials say the wait should not be as long for New Hampshire. Bob Judge, of the EPA?s Boston office says that?s because New Hampshire voluntarily entered the program, and is now asking for release from using M T B E, but not from achieving clean air standards. Judge says California is in a much different position.
12 53 ?They never chose to have reformulated gasoline. They were mandated to have it, and as such, they ?.and they are trying to exercise a different provision of the clean air act to try and eliminate mtbe more specifically, they?re trying to elminate the oxygenate requirement?.
California, New Hampshire and other states may not have to ask the EPA for permission to opt out of using M T B E in gasoline much longer. There are several bills in the U.S. Senate to eliminate M T B E as a required additive. One bill, from Iowa Democratic Senator Tom Harkin, would promote ethanol as fuel, because it burns cleaner than untreated gasoline. New Hampshire Senator Bob Smith, chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, has also submitted legislation to change the Clean Air Act. Marty Hall, spokesman for the Committee, says the bill would do several things.
13 244 we would ban mtbe. We would provide funding for the cleanup of contamination that currently exists. But we would also make sure that we preserve the environmental benefits on the air toxics. That way there you don?t trade one problem for another, which is basically what got us into this situation. 13 303
With Democrats taking control of the U.S. Senate, Republican Bob Smith will soon lose his chairmanship of the Environment and Public Works Committee. But the change in chairman may have no effect on the issue. Senators from both parties have sponsored legislation to kill M T B E.
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