Harkin Seeks Tighter Controls, More Ethanol

March 17, 2000

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) is getting ready to introduce a bill that would tighten controls on certain compounds considered carcinogenic and open the door further for ethanol to be used in gasoline.

"Big Oil is determined to push ethanol out of the picture and put polluting compounds back into gasoline," said Harkin. "I am determined to stop them. My legislation will tighten air quality standards in the law so that the gasoline the oil companies produce actually results in cleaner air for people to breathe."

Harkin's legislation would:

--Tighten limits on aromatic compounds in gasoline, many of which are considered carcinogenic, such as benzene, toluene, xylene and similar substances;

--Impose air quality performance standards at least as stringent as the public health benefits that oxygen additives now provide;

--Establish particulate matter performance standards to ensure air quality benefits are achieved by providing oxygen to gasoline

--Ensure strong rules against "dumping" -- to guard against oil companies taking dirty, polluting compounds out of gasoline in reformulated gasoline areas and dumping them into gasoline produced for other regions that have less stringent cleanliness standards.