Chicago recently became the first city to ban the use of MTBE, following a unanimous vote in favor of the ban by the City Council.  The resolution, which passed 47 to 0, prohibits the "manufacture, blending, delivery, sale, distribution or use of MTBE" and becomes effective by the end of this year.  For two years the city has sought to address rising concerns that as adjacent states act to ban the additive, it could find its way into the Chicago reformulated gasoline market. 

Alarmed that MTBE use in the Bay Area is rising, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a resolution that calls upon Governor Davis to act to ensure that MTBE is removed from gasoline in all areas of northern California that are not required by state or federal law to contain oxygenates.  In California, the use of oxygenated fuel is required in the Sacramento Metropolitan area, Los Angeles, and Southern California.  The five county San Francisco metropolitan area is not subject to the federal oxygenate requirement.  "Should cities and counties such as San Francisco, which are not subject to the oxygenate requirement, choose voluntarily to include oxygenates, nationwide availability of ethanol can easily provide additional supply of environmentally preferred vehicle fuels," the resolution states.

According to the resolution, "The elimination of MTBE will provide substantial opportunities for the development of a biomass ethanol industry in California, providing rural economic opportunities, reduction of agricultural and municipal waste, and decreased global warming emissions."