Text: SCR00101 Text: SCR00103 Text: SCR00100 - SCR00199 Text: SCR Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN 1 1 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. ___ 1 2 BY IVERSON 1 3 A Concurrent Resolution urging the President of 1 4 the United States, the United States Environmental 1 5 Protection Agency, and the United States Congress, 1 6 immediately take all actions necessary in order 1 7 to immediately prohibit the use of methyl tertiary 1 8 butyl ether as an additive in gasoline. 1 9 WHEREAS, methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), a 1 10 derivative of natural gas, has been used as an octane 1 11 booster in gasoline, following the phase-out of leaded 1 12 gasoline; and 1 13 WHEREAS, in the past decade, the petroleum industry 1 14 has increased the amount of MTBE added to reformulated 1 15 gasoline in order to comply with federally mandated 1 16 efforts to improve air quality in the nation's most 1 17 polluted areas, and to reduce emissions of benzene and 1 18 other ozone-forming aromatic compounds associated with 1 19 gasoline; and 1 20 WHEREAS, a majority of reformulated gasoline sold 1 21 throughout the nation contains MTBE, including in the 1 22 Northeast where almost all reformulated gasoline 1 23 contains at least 11 percent of MTBE; and 1 24 WHEREAS, the United States Environmental Protection 1 25 Agency lists MTBE as a possible human carcinogen; and 1 26 WHEREAS, methyl tertiary butyl ether, leaking from 1 27 underground storage tanks and discharged as unburned 1 28 fuel from two-stroke motorboats and jet skies, 1 29 migrates readily to water supplies; and 1 30 WHEREAS, a study by the University of California 2 1 found that use of the compound poses a significant 2 2 risk of contaminating water supplies, including 2 3 groundwater sources; and 2 4 WHEREAS, methyl tertiary butyl ether has unique 2 5 chemical properties that make it highly soluble and 2 6 allow it to migrate through drinking water supplies, 2 7 giving the water a turpentine odor in minute 2 8 quantities; and 2 9 WHEREAS, methyl tertiary butyl ether does not 2 10 degrade as readily as other gasoline additives, which 2 11 creates significant clean-up and remediation costs at 2 12 contaminated sites; and 2 13 WHEREAS, it has been reported that New York State 2 14 environmental officials compiled a list of 1,500 2 15 places where soil or water had been contaminated with 2 16 MTBE; and 2 17 WHEREAS, in Maine, a statewide survey found that 16 2 18 percent of drinking wells had detectable amounts of 2 19 MTBE; and 2 20 WHEREAS, in New Jersey, 65 public drinking water 2 21 supplies have been contaminated with MTBE; and 2 22 WHEREAS, in California, MTBE has been ordered to be 2 23 phased out of the state's fuel supply by 2002; and 2 24 WHEREAS, in Iowa, on or after February 1, 2000, it 2 25 is illegal to sell motor vehicle fuel that contains 2 26 more than 2 percent of MTBE by volume; and 2 27 WHEREAS, ethanol-blended gasoline is an 2 28 environmentally safe oxygenate enhancer that may be 2 29 used in reformulated gasoline in order to comply with 2 30 the requirements of the federal Clean Air Act; NOW 3 1 THEREFORE, 3 2 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, THE HOUSE OF 3 3 REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING, That the United States 3 4 President, the Administrator of the United States 3 5 Environmental Protection Agency, and the United States 3 6 Congress, immediately act to prohibit the use of MTBE 3 7 as an additive in gasoline sold in this nation; and 3 8 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this 3 9 Resolution be sent by the Secretary of the Senate to 3 10 the President of the United States; the Administrator 3 11 of the United States Environmental Protection Agency; 3 12 the President of the Senate of the United States; the 3 13 Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United 3 14 States; and members of Iowa's congressional 3 15 delegation. 3 16 LSB 5221XS 78 3 17 da/as/5
Text: SCR00101 Text: SCR00103 Text: SCR00100 - SCR00199 Text: SCR Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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