Iowa Senator Tom Harkin

Concerned that an oxygenate waiver be granted to California outside the boundaries of the Clean Air Act, Iowa Senator Tom Harkin has written EPA Administrator Carol Browner, stating "air quality is the only permissible basis for a waiver under the statute."

"Citing water contamination in support of the waiver sets up a false choice between producing cleaner-burning gasoline and protecting water supplies. It is a false choice because it ignores the obvious solution: replacing toxic MTBE with ethanol, the clean fuel additive so safe you can drink it. The very same petroleum industry that brought us MTBE is now seeking to eliminate the oxygen content requirement for cleaner gasoline because MTBE has contaminated water. It takes real audacity to push for the waiver of a clean air requirement after poisoning water supplies around the country," Harkin said. "Fortunately, the Clean Air Act does not allow a waiver on this basis."

In reference to the waiver request submission by the California Air Resources Board, Harkin said, "There is so much doubt about the data and analysis submitted by the Board that it clearly has failed to carry its burden of proof." And Harkin noted that the California Environmental Policy Council unanimously approved a report submitted by the Board in December which states that ethanol will not have any significant negative air quality impacts. "If the California Air Resources Board has negated its own argument for the waiver, surely EPA cannot grant it," Harkin said.

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