AzMotorNews

PHOENIX AZ. Gov. Janet Napolitano has signed a bill that ends the use of the controversial additive MTBE in gasoline sold in the Valley.

Supporters say the move will protect Arizona's water supply and could eventually lower prices by opening Phoenix up to larger fuel supplies.

"This is a very good thing to protect our precious water resources," said Steve Owens, director of the state Department of Environmental Quality. "The concern about MTBE is widely known. This is one thing we will not have to worry about again."

The ban officially begins Jan. 1. A requirement that stations in Maricopa County use the additive already has been lifted.

Originally, MTBE - methyl tertiary butyl ether - was called a "miracle additive" for its pollution-cleaning abilities. It has been used to reduce air pollution from gasoline during summer months since 1997. But it is also potentially harmful and has been detected nationwide in groundwater and has contaminated some drinking-water sources.

"It can be very dangerous in our water," said Sen. Carolyn Allen, R-Scottsdale, the key sponsor of House Bill 2142. "When they first started using it, there wasn't an understanding about it getting into the water."

Newer additives that cause less environmental damage are now available, and Owens said he is confident Arizona will find the right formula to replace MTBE.

Right now, it is not known whether banning MTBE will help cash-strapped motorists who have been dealing with skyrocketing prices at the pump. Mark Ellery, an energy policy adviser for the Department of Commerce, said removing MTBE could eventually open Phoenix up to a larger market of gas from Houston and California.

"It makes sense to ban a compound that is suspected of being bad," he said. "This will make our supply more flexible. This will open us up to a larger market."

The bill passed unanimously out of the House and Senate, a rarity in legislative politics.

Valley gas stations are no longer required to sell gas blended with MTBE to reduce pollution. Summer gas is blended to reduce nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds in the air. Summer gas has typically been made by adding MTBE. MTBE increases the oxygen content in gas and makes it burn cleaner. Metropolitan Phoenix uses a different blend from the rest of the state, so gasoline can't be diverted from Tucson or Flagstaff to relieve a shortage. Last summer, when a burst pipeline reduced supplies to the Valley, gasoline was plentiful in other parts of the state.

MTBE has been controversial because if it leaks into water supplies, it can contaminate that water. California banned MTBE after controversy surrounding its presence in Lake Tahoe and other bodies of water.

The Environmental Protection Agency and ADEQ has determined that it would not be harmful to air pollution if the Valley didn't use MTBE. Therefore, the ban of MTBE will not affect cars' passing emissions tests.

AzMotorNews.com

Bill Passes Ending MTBE Use In Az Gas

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from the:

The Arizona Republic Newspaper

Az Governor Signs Bill To End MTBE Use In Valley Gas