Senators Demand More Information on MTBE

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON -- Twenty-one senators asked the Environmental Protection Agency for more information Thursday about an internal paper that reportedly concludes that the gasoline additive MTBE may cause cancer.

Key elements of the document, which has not been made public, surfaced as lawmakers considered whether to shield the makers of MTBE from product liability lawsuits as a result drinking water contamination in at least 36 states.

MTBE, which was put into gasoline to cut air pollution, has been banned in several states because of complaints that it adds a foul smell and turpentine-like taste to drinking water when it leaks into water supplies.

But the draft EPA paper, described as a preliminary document that has not been peer-reviewed, raises broader health concerns from MTBE than widely assumed, according to opponents of the proposed liability shield.

"This is extremely troubling and certainly merits further investigation and review," said the senators _ 19 Democrats, one Republican and one independent _ in a letter sent Thursday to EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/21/AR2005072101944.html

[Trillo]

1. Anyone feel the cost of health care rising? nt

[mrdmk]

2. Ok, here is the real story. Where do I start?

State Governments wanted cleaner air in spite of their congested roads. Many in these people know that there are ingredients that can be added to gasoline used in cars so they burn cleaner (added note: you get less gas mileage with a lot of these additives). The State Governments proceeded to tell the oil companies to add oxygenates to the gasoline.

The Oil Companies wanted to use MTBE because it is a by product from refining oil. Many knew this could be a problem because MTBE like gasoline is a know carcinogenic only more so. There were other alternatives, but the oil companies insisted on MTBE.

The main problem is not that we are subjected to carcinogenic, we are all the time, it is that MTBE spreads quickly into the soil and once hits the ground water that is it for that source. What is also known is that all underground gasoline tanks (they are mostly fiberglass) leak. When a gasoline station is removed, it is generally an environmental clean up site without question. This was a problem that was a known factor before MTBE was introduced to the public as a way to clean up the air (which should be said, "to put more carbon dioxide in the air rather than carbon monoxide", take your choice).

So here we are with MTBE in our ground water. We have a 2 stage filter we use on our tap water that is suppose to clean the water of nasty chemicals including MTBE but not everybody is so lucky to know about this problem. The Irvine Water District and Orange County Water District in California claims that MTBE is in the water at higher levels and not at the lower levels where they pump the water out of the ground. We will keep our filter, thank you.

The Energy Bill which stills needs to be approved by Congress has a MTBE clause forgiving the Oil Companies from cleaning up the mess (it is going to cost billions of dollars to clean). This is very much a sticking point in the Bill. I do not need to mention who is and who not for this clause in the bill.

Yes folks, we have a real problem on our hands!

[silvershadow]

3. Its not like they don't have the money to clean this up with

see this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1644600

[Karenina]

4. Kick!

:kick:

[krkaufman]

5. And the kicker is.... the oil companies are making record profits...

.. and have so much cash lying around that they don't know what to do with it.

[cosmicdot]

6. gee, I think I wrote a letter to ExxonMobil 5 years ago ...

... calling for them to take action re MTBE ...

:kick: for this issue

[mrdmk]

7. Some more info

link
http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/0722-05.htm