May 2000
Drinking Water Well Contaminant To Be Phased Out
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it will phase
out the use of gasoline additive methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) over the
next three years. Reports indicate that MTBE may have contaminated as
many as 9,000 community wells in 31 states in the U.S.
According to the Toxic Chemicals
Litigation Reporter (March 27, 2000), despite the federal phase-out and
California's announcement to halt the use of MTBE by the end of the year
2002, geologists estimate that the amount of MTBE in the nation's
groundwater will continue to increase for years to come, due to prior or
yet-uncontrolled underground storage tank
leaks.
Oil industry magnates Arco, BP Amoco, Citgo,
Conoco, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Texaco and others are facing lawsuits from
water well owners across the country. For the past 20 years, MTBE has been used in gasoline
to limit air pollution, but has been found to cause cancer in laboratory
animals and threatens the nation's water supply. Even in tiny
concentrations, MTBE produces a foul
taste and smell in water.
For more information on MTBE, visit www.epa.gov/swerust1/mtbe/index.htm.
Other stories in this month's report:
