Kansas Governor
Bill
Graves
The Blue Ribbon Panel on Oxygenates established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recommended that the use of MTBE in the nation's gasoline "should be reduced substantially." The Panel was formed in response to concerns regarding MTBE contamination of water supplies. "The Reformulated Gasoline
program has been a tremendous help to air quality," said Dan Greenbaum, Chair of the Panel and President of the Health Effects Institute. "We urge all parties to take quick action to preserve these benefits while minimizing current and future contamination of the nation's drinking water supplies."
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"EPA is committed to working with Congress to provide a targeted legislative solution that maintains our air quality gains and allows for the reduction of MTBE, while preserving the important role of renewable fuels like ethanol," said EPA Administrator Carol Browner.
The Panel also recommended that Congress lift the oxygen requirement in the reformulated gasoline program "in order to provide flexibility" to refiners to meet fuel quality standards. "The Panel recognizes that Congress, when adopting the oxygen requirement, sought to advance several national policy goals (energy security and diversity, agricultural policy, etc.) that are beyond the scope of our expertise and deliberations. The Panel further recognizes that if Congress acts on the recommendation to remove the requirement, Congress will likely seek other legislative mechanisms to fulfill these national policy interest," the report states.
Todd Sneller, Nebraska Governor Johann's representative to the Coalition and the ethanol industry's representative on the Panel, dissented from the Panel's recommendation to lift the oxygen requirement. "Based on the weight of the evidence presented to the Panel, I remain convinced that maintenance of the oxygenate standard is necessary to ensure cleaner air and a healthier environment," said Sneller. "I am also convinced that water quality must be better protected."
Kansas Governor Bill Graves, Chairman of the Coalition, noted the importance of economic and energy impacts generated by the ethanol industry. "At a time when the agricultural sector is facing serious economic challenges, it is important that we maintain industries that can help restore economic growth," he said. "The Coalition is committed to working with Congress to simulate ethanol industry growth."
The EPA Panel's report can be found at www.epa.gov/orcdizux/consumer/fuels/oxypanel/blueribb.htm
