Re: For those who don't like oxygenated gas:

[Elliott Potter <epotter@abraxis.com>]

"Buchholz, Steven" wrote:
> 
> > Agency Will Ask Congress to Drop Gasoline Additive:
> > http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/science/072799sci-epa-gasoline.htm
> > l
> >
> > Turns out that MTBE, which is what most oil companies use to make the
> > gas "oxygenated," dilutes into groundwater pretty readily and is
> > generally bad (though it does help with air pollution).
> >
> ... there are some studies that might dispute that last statement as well
> ...
 
You're right, I mis-worded that a bit.  Studies *mostly* agree that it's
cut down on Carbon Monoxide pollution, but *generally* agree that it
hasn't done much else.

Gas companies like it because it's a cheap octane booster; some used it
even before they were required to.

> I truly applaud this review ... but the question that comes to my mind is
> why are they saying that should a decision be made to phase MTBE out it will
> take a couple years to implement ...
 
California has already required gas companies to phase it out by 2002. 
EPA is pending for "official" decision, but if states who are required
to use it now individually ask to stop using it, they're granted
permission to do it on their own (as CA was)
--
Elliott


> Steve Buchholz
> San Jose, CA (USA)