Grassley Says Iowa Water Contains MTBE

February 17, 2000

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) says MTBE has been found in Iowa water supplies, although MTBE is not supposed to be sold or used in the state. Earlier this month, Maryland officials said MTBE was detected in about 210 private wells and 140 monitoring wells near gas stations.

Grtassley called on Iowa Agriculture Secretary Patty Judge to independently verify the claim and immediately enforce Iowa law that requires MTBE warning labels. Grassley said that will "empower Iowans with necessary information to make a pro-environmental, educated choice to protect our water supply by refusing to buy gasoline with MTBE."

In letters to President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore, Grassley said the Iowa Department of Natural Resources report on MTBE in water supplies "puts to rest, once and for all, the simplistic, false notion that by allowing states to waive out of the Clean Air Act’s reformulated fuel oxygenate requirement, America’s MTBE water contamination problems will disappear."

Every year, Grassley said, almost 500 million gallons of MTBE are sold in conventional fuel sold outside areas where reformulated gasoline is sold. Therefore, said Grassley, "mere oxygenate waivers from the Clean Air Act will not protect the rest of American’s water supply. To grant such a waiver would perpetuate a hoax that will leave the rest of the public vulnerable to MTBE water contamination."

Last week, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS reported that MTBE had been detected in Maryland water supplies. The state Department of the Environment does not know the full extent of contamination and is asking lawmakers for permission to use $150,000 to raise the number of ground water inspectors from 21 to 24.

"We don’t think that we have a crisis situation here," Rick Collins, director of the department’s Water Management Division, said. But "I don’t want you to go away thinking everything’s under control."