According to an AP report, President Bush has ordered a temporary suspension of the new environmental rules for gasoline. Which means refineries can mix additives (MBTE) at the refineries, rather than mixing ethanol at the pump. He also halted the purchase of crude oil for the government's emergency reserve for the summer months.
This should relieve some of the gas price increases we have been seeing nationwide, but at what cost? Despite the political timebomb for Bush and the Republicans, the environmental measures were created for a reason. Ethanol being mixed at the filling station, rather than MBTE at the refinery was an environmental initiative passed by Congress and signed by the president.
The properties of methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MBTE) allow more oxygen into gasoline and as such it falls into a category of chemicals referred to as "oxygenates." MBTE is being phased out because it was being found in the water supply all across the nation. But then, Congress is currently considering blocking any lawsuits against MBTE industries, which will protect them in the future.
USNews.com: AP News
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Bush temporarily halts switchover to ethanol
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