| Dear Letters Editor: For those who demand another law every time they hurt themselves or feel threatened, here is another example of how government protects you. Thank your representative and senators. Health & Environmental Assessment of MTBE Report to the governor and legislature of the state of California as sponsored by SB 521 Volume I Summary & Recommendations November 1998 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY & RECOMMENDATIONS ... Meeting the CaRFG2 requirements to achieve these air quality benefits, however, incurs additional costs to manufacture reformulated gasoline. The additional fuel cost is paid by consumers at the pump as a net increase in fuel price, and as decreased fuel efficiency due to the lower energy content of gasoline with oxygenate. We estimate this cost to be on the order of $590 million to $1.4 billion per year for California. In addition, CaRFG2 and Federal Reformulated Gasoline (RFG) must, as mandated by Federal law, contain a certain percentage of oxygen content in designated non-attainment areas. These oxygenate compounds can contaminate water sources, and also result in air emissions specific to these additives. ... MTBE and other oxygenates were found to have no significant effect on exhaust emissions from advanced technology vehicles. ... Thus, there is no significant additional air quality benefit to the use of oxygenates such as MTBE in reformulated gasoline, relative to alternative CaRFG2 non-oxygenated formulations. There are significant risks and costs associated with water contamination due to the use of MTBE. MTBE is highly soluble in water and will transfer readily to groundwater from gasoline leaking from underground storage tanks, pipelines and other components of the gasoline distribution system. In addition, the use of gasoline containing MTBE in motor boats, in particular those using older 2-stroke engines, results in the contamination of surface water reservoirs. ... it is clear we are placing our limited water resources at risk by using MTBE. ... People supplied by small public water systems or private drinking water supplies are most likely to be exposed to MTBE.... Many individuals do not taste or smell MTBE at the 5 ug/L level, and thus may be exposed to higher concentrations for a significant amount of time. ... areas of potential concern including risks of cancer, asthma, neurologic, reproductive, and developmental effects, taste and odor thresholds, and possible acute effects at low concentrations. The cost of treatment of MTBE-contaminated drinking water sources in California could be enormous. In addition, the cost of remediating Underground Storage Tank (UST) and pipeline leaks and spills could be on the order of tens to hundreds of millions of dollars per year. There are other significant costs to the economy, which may be in the tens of millions of dollars per year, in terms of monitoring of surface water sources for MTBE and potential losses in recreational income to surface water reservoirs that ban or restrict the use of gasoline-powered boats. ... The full text of Volume I can be downloaded from http://florite.com/pressreleases/mtbe.html. Sincerely, Bill Holmes, Vice Chair Antelope Valley Libertarian Party P.O. Box 3202 Quartz Hill, California 93586 wtholmes@compuserve.com, 661-943-7473 voice/fax http://synergy-enterprises.com/wth.html |
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