Tasty AND refreshing

You can thank the Bush administration for your refreshing glass of turpentiney, MTBE-laden water:

The Bush administration quietly shelved a proposal to ban a
gasoline additive that contaminates drinking water in many communities,
helping an industry that has donated more than $1 million to
Republicans.
The Environmental Protection Agency's decision had its origin in the
early days of President Bush's tenure when his administration decided
not to move ahead with a Clinton-era regulatory effort to ban the
clean-air additive MTBE.
The proposed regulation said the environmental harm of the additive
leaching into ground water overshadowed its beneficial effects to the
air.
The Bush administration decided to leave the issue to Congress, where
it has bogged down over a proposal to shield the industry from some
lawsuits. That initiative is being led by House Majority Leader Tom
DeLay, R-Texas.
The Associated Press obtained a draft of the proposed regulation that
former President Clinton's EPA sent to the White House on its last full
day in office in January 2001.
It said: "The use of MTBE as an additive in gasoline presents an
unreasonable risk to the environment."
The EPA document went on to say that "low levels of MTBE can render
drinking water supplies unpotable due to its offensive taste and odor,"
and the additive should be phased out over four years.
"Unlike other components of gasoline, MTBE dissolves and spreads
readily in the ground water ... resists biodegradation and is more
difficult and costly to remove."
People say MTBE-contaminated water tastes like turpentine.
[...]
In 2000, the MTBE industry's lobbying group told the Clinton
administration that limiting MTBE's use by regulation "would inflict
grave economic harm on member companies."
Three MTBE producers account for half the additive's daily output.
The three contributed $338,000 to George W. Bush's presidential
campaign, the Republican Party and Republican congressional candidates
in 1999 and 2000, twice what they gave Democrats, according to the
Center for Responsive Politics. Since then, the three producers have
given just over $1 million to Republicans.

Posted by flow Frazao on February 17, 2004 at 12:51 PM | Permalink