Drinking Water Well Contaminant To Be Phased Out

Advisory Report - 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.