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Enron Mail |
Rep. Greg Ganske yesterday introduced legislation to ban MTBE and promote
ethanol. He will most certainly offer this proposal as an amendment to whatever legislation comes before the House Commerce Committee for a markup. As there have been a number of controversial issues to consider in the debate, the House Commerce and Senate Environment Commitees have both had difficulty settling on dates for their respective mark-ups of RFG legislation, but we do expect both to try to move forward in the coming months. A copy of the legislation and Rep. Ganske's press release is attached. - ganske_009.pdf NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 16, 2000 Reps. Ganske and Shimkus Introduce Legislation to Ban MTBE and Promote Ethanol Representatives Greg Ganske (R-IA) and John Shimkus (R-IL)today introduced the Clean Air and Water Preservation Act of 2000 to ban the gasoline additive methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) and promote renewable ethanol. They were joined on the bill by 21 other Members of Congress. MTBE and ethanol are added to gasoline to reduce harmful emissions. MTBE is responsible for widespread groundwater contamination. Ethanol, however, is a clean, renewable additive that does not contaminate water. "We do not have to chose between clean air and clean water. With renewable ethanol, not MTBE, we can have both," Ganske said. "This bill clearly addresses the problem of MTBE contaminating water," Ganske said. "Not only does it eliminate MTBE in gasoline within three years, it directs the EPA to help states figure out how to get this chemical out of their drinking water supplies." "MTBE has caused the contamination of groundwater in sites around the country, including my District. However, there is a safe and clean alternative - ethanol," Shimkus said. "The Clean Air and Water Preservation Act will provide cleaner air by reducing harmful auto emissions and will provide cleaner water, as ethanol spillage does not contaminate groundwater." "The Clean Air and Water Preservation Act of 2000 gives refiners the flexibility they have sought within the Clean Air Act by allowing them to average their oxygen content," Ganske said. "While giving them this flexibility, we have also raised the bar on environmental quality." The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 required specific reductions in harmful emissions. With oxygenated fuels in the Reformulated Gasoline Program, refiners have exceeded these requirements. The bill raises the standards to take into consideration these lower emissions levels, resetting the bar at a more environmentally sound level. In promoting the bill, Ganske cited a USDA study of the agriculture impact of replacing MTBE with ethanol. The study found that doing so would generate an extra $1 billion in on-farm cash receipts each year. In addition, it would improve the price of corn by 14 cents per bushel each year for at least the next ten years. "The Clean Air and Water Preservation Act of 2000 is a sensible environmental and agricultural bill," Ganske said. "It is exceptionally important considering our farmers are entering their third year of depressed commodity prices and Congress last year appropriated billions in emergency farm support." The Clean Air and Water Preservation Act of 2000 does the following: * Bans MTBE within three years and urges refiners to replace it with ethanol. * Requires labels be placed on all pumps dispensing MTBE-blended fuel. * Directs EPA to provide technical guidelines to help states remove MTBE from water. * Gives refiners flexibility to blend oxygen within the 2% requirement. * Prohibits environmental backsliding by raising the standards on emissions reductions and prohibiting an increase in the use of gasoline aromatics (which can lead to cancer-causing particulate emissions). * Directs DOE and EPA to look for alternative sources of gasoline oxygenates. "Congress must make a commitment to environmental quality, renewable energy and American agriculture. This bill does all three," Ganske said. "It will help cleanup MTBE contaminated water supplies. It will preserve the clean air accomplishments of the past decade. And it will provide a renewable energy source which will decrease our dependence on foreign oil and improve our agricultural economy. The Clean Air and Water Preservation Act of 2000 is a good bill for all involved." Original Cosponsors: < John Shimkus (IL) < Bill Barrett (NE) < Lane Evans (IL) < Jim Leach (IA) < Leonard Boswell (IA) < Tom Latham (IA) < David Minge (MN) < Ray LaHood (IL) < Jim Ramstad (MN) < Lee Terry (NE) < David Phelps (IL) < William Lipinski (IL) < Jerry Weller (IL) < Roy Blunt (MO) < Pat Danner (MO) < Thomas Ewing (IL) < Kenny Hulshof (MO) < Fred Upton (MI) < John Thune (SD) < Bruce Vento (MN) < Sherwood Boehlert (NY) < Don Manzullo (IL)
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