publications and resources
Technical Reports
MtBE
MtBE (methyl tertiary-butyl ether) is a chemical compound used primarily as a fuel additive in gasoline. It is one of a group of chemicals commonly known as "oxygenates" because they raise the oxygen content of gasoline. MtBE has been used in U.S. gasoline at low levels since 1979 to replace lead as an octane enhancer, but since 1992, it's been used at higher concentrations in some gasoline to fulfill the oxygenate requirements in the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. Oxygen helps gasoline burn more completely, reducing harmful tailpipe emissions from motor vehicles. However, studies have shown that MtBE may cause cancer in humans if ingested in high doses. Concerns continue to grow about the threat to drinking water supplies posed by the leakage of fuel containing MtBE from underground storage tanks.
2003 NEIWPCC Survey of Oxygenates at LUST Sites
In 2002, NEIWPCC received a grant from the EPA Office of Underground Storage
Tanks to develop and conduct a survey of the states, the District of Columbia,
and the U.S. territories to determine how MtBE and other oxygenate contamination
is affecting state LUST programs and the cleanup of contaminated sites.
The Survey of State Experiences with MTBE and Other Oxygenate Contamination
at LUST Sites focused on the following oxygenates: methyl tertiary-butyl
ether (MtBE), tertiary-butyl alcohol (TBA), ethanol, tert-amyl methyl
ether (TAME), ethyl tertiary-butyl ether (EtBE), and diisopropyl ether
(DIPE). The survey was a follow-up to the one conducted in 2000 by NEIWPCC
that was similar but focused mostly on MtBE (see below). As with the 2000
survey, we received responses from all 50 states--a remarkable feat on
the part of LUST program personnel. We had no responses from the territories
or D.C.
2000 NEIWPCC Survey of MtBE at LUST Sites
As with the 2003 version, the EPA Office of Underground Storage Tanks provided
a grant to NEIWPCC to conduct this survey, entitled A Survey of State
Experiences with MtBE Contamination at LUST Sites.