For Immediate Release November 23, 1999

For More Information Contact Greg Krissek, 785-296-2653 Jerry Loos 402-471-3356

The 23-state Governors. Ethanol Coalition has released a report that confirms that ethanol, a renewable oxygenate added to gasoline to make it burn cleaner, poses no threat to surface water and ground water. "Ethanol is a naturally-occurring intermediate produced during the fermentation of organic matter & and is expected to rapidly biodegrade in essentially all environments with conditions that support microbial activity," states the report prepared by SURBEC Environmental of Norman, Oklahoma.

The report, The Fate and Transport of Ethanol-Blended Gasoline in the Environment, has been submitted by the Coalition to state officials in California who are seeking alternatives to MTBE . methyl tertiary butyl ether . a petroleum-derived oxygenate that has been found to contaminate water resources across the state and nation. In California, more than 10,000 wells have been contaminated by MTBE, and its pungent odor renders water undrinkable.

The report makes the following conclusions:

1. Because biodegradability decreases with increased chemical branching, highly branched oxygenated organic compounds including MTBE will have a higher residence time in the environment. In contrast, the structural characteristics of ethanol favor rapid biodegradation.
2. Microorganisms capable of metabolizing ethanol are widely distributed in the environment and relatively rapid rates of ethanol biodegradation have been measured under aerobic and anaerobic conditions.
3. Ethanol is a short-lived compound in surface waters and subsurface aquifers.

"As Californians look for alternatives to MTBE, we trust this report will encourage them to look favorably upon ethanol, which has provided each of our states with substantial air quality and economic benefits without negatively impacting precious water resources," said Kansas Governor and Coalition Chair Bill Graves.

Earlier this year, California Governor Gray Davis called for eliminating the use of MTBE in the state's gasoline. Executive Order D-5-99 requires a phase out and eventual elimination of MTBE use by December 31, 2002. The order also called for a review of the health and environmental impacts of ethanol and a report on the potential for development of a California waste-based or biomass ethanol industry by the end of the year.

The report, The Fate and Transport of Ethanol-Blended Gasoline in the Environment, can be downloaded from the Coalition's web site at www.ethanol-gec.org/publicat.htm