5/10 I know this sounds like a troll, but seriously.... There's a sticker
on the gas pump at my local station that says, "This product contains
MTBE which is known to the State of California to cause environmental
harm". Ok, knew that. But the idea was supposed to be that we add
MTBE to protect the environment. But here we are with MTBE laden
fuel that costs more but doesn't protect anything. What gives? Is
there a real explanation for this? Why are we using MTBE?
\_ MTBE lowers hazzardous air emissions, but contaminates
ground water. EPA misadvised the Bush Sr. Administration
which signed off prematurely and corporate lobbies pushed MTBE
through before we knew the later facts about ground water
in detail.
\_ Ok, so what does MTBE do for the corporate lobbies? What do
they care? And why can't we dump it now that we know better?
\_ MTBE clean up for a gas station is extremely expensive.
\_ So they don't have to do any cleanup as long as they put
the stuff in the gas and continue poisoning the water
supply, but once they decide to stop ruining the water,
it suddenly becomes expensive?
\_ Cleanup is now required by state law.
\_ I read that MTBE can be substitued by ethanol. Eliminating
MTBE can mean either increase (if air standard is still
required) or decrease (if air standard is lowered) ethanol
demand. Ethanol is made from corn. Corn in US is politics.
-- yuen
\_ MTBE is a by-product of the refining process, so otherwise
the refineries would have to dispose of it. That's why they
want to keep selling it |
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