Bush Eases Environmental Rules on Gasoline

[MeekAndMild]

FirstFreedom,

No, he is getting a lot of flack for suspending the EPA rules which require use of this toxic chemical. Suspension of MTBE use should improve the water environment once it has time to leach out of the aquafer.

The URL I posted was an introduction to the subject which offers a pretty good explanation of its poisonous effects and why it should be removed from gas. The article is older than the present crisis. Like I said it was just the first one google listed of thousands on the subject.

Concerning the general use of oxidants in gas to reduce air pollution: In the 1980's and 1990's the decision for states which had air pollution problems was a choice of either building public transportation services or putting poisons such as MTBE in gas. They chose the latter but should have chosen the former. If Kali and the Northeast had developed a better commuter rail system we could have avoided this entire problem (as well as the entire present gas shortage).


BTW, anyone who is interested in finding out whether their gas has MTBE can find out fairly quickly. If the little spills which occur while putting gas in their car have an undertone smell similar to turpentine chances are this poison is in their gas. Likewise if their well water or city water has a smell of turpentine there is a pretty good chance there is an extremely high level in it. Trouble is the stuff is poisonous in levels which can't be smelled.

 

[Waitone]

As I understand what is happening is Bush is suspending the requirement for 55 different oxygenated blends of gas. That was the first thing he did after Katrina. It has a positive effect in driving pricing down.

Simultaneously the oil companies are getting out of the MTBE business. The decision to us it was the EPA's during the Clinton presidency. Oil companies disliked the chemical then because any chemist could see it was hydrophilic and that it would get into the ground water. It did. The oil companies went to congress and the president asking for hold harmless because they were told to use MTBE by the EPA. Since the ground water was becoming more polluted with the chemical the oil companies could see the tort vultures circling. Congress and the president told the oil companies to go get stuffed. No immunity. Oil companies said, "Fine. We're outta MTBE" Seitching to ethanol is not without expense and process problems. Part of the run up in costs has to do with the loss of capacity due to ethanol changeover.

Once again if you look at all the factors in the recent run up in costs of gas you will see government's fingerprints all over it. I just wish economic literacy was just a tad higher than it is now.