MTBE Testimonials

MTBE is capable of contaminating water resources faster than any other gasoline component. (University of California Davis study, November 1998)

The use of MTBE was a tragic mistake, which will haunt California for years  to come MTBE has polluted the water, made people ill and damaged our  cars.(California Sen. Richard L. Mountjoy)

MTBE was detected in 27% of urban wells, and in 1.3% of agricultural wells distributed across the United States. (National Air Water-Quality Assessment Program)

Despite MTBE’s air-quality benefits, regulators have discovered that MTBE is highly soluble, does not biodegrade as easily as ethanol and pollutes  drinking-water supplies when it leaks from faulty underground storage tanks, pipelines and other gasoline conveyances.  MTBE also fouls lakes and rivers when discharged in exhaust from boats powered by two-stroke engines. (The Wall Street Journal, 11/3/99)

We have concluded that this additive poses an unacceptable risk to natural resources, in particular to potable water, said Jason Grumet, executive  director of NESCAUM, a coalition composed of the environmental agencies of New York, New Jersey and the New England States.

Health Hazards
According to the November 1998 University of California-Davis study:
Studies have indicated that MTBE has the potential for producing effects associated with depression, including headache,  dizziness, spaciness, nausea and disorientation.

It is plausible that combustion products of MTBE could exacerbate or even  cause asthma. Formaldehyde is a by-product of MTBE, an air toxic and known carcinogen, and can cause irritation to the eyes, mucus membrane and respiratory tract.

Gasoline station attendants, auto mechanics and commuters are more in danger from MTBE, since they face higher exposure via inhalation.

At high doses, MTBE has caused tumors in two species of rat and one species  of mouse, but it is still uncertain whether MTBE will affect humans the same  way. (EPA Blue Ribbon Panel, July 1999)

MTBE Reductions
California Gov. Gray Davis has required that all MTBE be removed from gasoline by Dec. 31, 2002, calling it a risk to the state’s  environment.  (The San Diego Union Tribune, 8/9/99)

An EPA advisory panel, the Blue Ribbon Panel on Oxygenates and Gasoline, concluded that MTBE use in reformulated gasoline should be reduced substantially. (July 1999)

There are significant risks and costs associated with water contamination  due to the use of MTBE. (University of California-Davis study,  November 1998)

MTBE Market Issues
As the No. 1 world producer of methanol (the main ingredient in MTBE), Methanex Corp. relies heavily on MTBE sales. The  company launched an unprecedented $1 billion lawsuit against the U.S. government  and has filed a complaint with the NAFTA environmental commission charging that the federal and state governments failed to properly enforce underground gasoline storage laws that resulted in MTBE leaks and spills. (Oxy-Fuel News, 11/1/99)

Responses to Methanex lawsuit:

Kip Lipper, staff director for the California Senate’s Environmental Quality Committee, argues that Methanex’s recent lawsuits are nothing more than a  business attempting to protect the market for a product. Lipper argues that  MTBE manufacturers long ago should have been aware of their product’s potential for contaminating water supplies. (The Wall Street Journal, 11/3/99)

Edward H. Fong, spokesman for the California EPA, argues that the allegation [Methanex lawsuit] has nothing to do with the enforcement of environmental laws  and has everything to do with Methanex desperately trying to hold on to the  California market for MTBE. (The Wall Street Journal, 11/3/99)