March 23, 2001
Honorable Christine Todd Whitman, Administrator
U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, S.W.
Washington, DC
20460
Dear
Administrator Whitman:
Pending before your agency is a request from the California Air
Resources Board for a waiver from the reformulated gasoline oxygen
requirement of the Clean Air Act. Governor Holden and I respectfully
request that you deny the board’s waiver request.
We believe that California has
significantly underestimated the positive air quality benefits resulting
from California reformulated gasoline, but we recognize the significant
water contamination problem that California faces from MTBE. A more
flexible and comprehensive approach to the use of oxygenates like ethanol
may be in the best interests of not only California, but also the entire
nation.
Last year, the Governors’ Ethanol
Coalition worked with the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use
Management to address this problem from a national perspective. Our hope
is that we can duplicate those efforts again during this session of
Congress. Taking action on the waiver at this time will make it very
difficult to adopt a national solution to this complex and difficult issue
and will perpetuate the harm that MTBE imposes on our water resources,
while potentially allowing an increase in harmful air
pollution.
The Coalition will continue to work
with the ethanol industry, National Corn Growers Association, Northeast
States, environmental groups, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and
other interested parties to develop legislation to address these
issues.
Sincerely,
Mike
Johanns
Governor of Nebraska and
Chair
