Congressional Record publishes “SECURING AMERICA'S FUTURE ENERGY ACT OF 2001” on Aug. 3, 2001

Volume 147, No. 112 covering the 1st Session of the 107th Congress (2001 - 2002) was published by the Congressional Record.

The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.

“SECURING AMERICA'S FUTURE ENERGY ACT OF 2001” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1559-E1560 on Aug. 3, 2001.

The publication is reproduced in full below:

SECURING AMERICA'S FUTURE ENERGY ACT OF 2001

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speech of

HON. JIM NUSSLE

of iowa

in the house of representatives

Wednesday, August 1, 2001

The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union had under consideration the bill. (H.R. 4) to enhance energy conservation, research and development and to provide for security and diversity in the energy supply for the American people, and for other purposes.

Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Chairman, as the House considers H.R. 4, the Saving America's Future Energy Act, I rise to express my concern about an amendment offered by my colleagues from California to exempt their state from the oxygenate requirement of the Clean Air Act.

In 1990, Congress approved the Clean Air Act Amendments to require that gasoline sold in certain areas of the country, including California, contain at least 2 percent oxygen, ``Reformulated Gasoline,'' which can be derived from adding an oxygenate to gasoline. The goal of the oxygenate requirement is to lower pollution in areas of the country that have the highest levels of air pollution.

There are two main substances that are used to meet the oxygenate requirement: Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) and ethanol, a fuel derived from corn. Following the 1990 law, the Chicago and Milwaukee reformulated gasoline areas chose to use ethanol and, to my knowledge, have not reported any problems with groundwater contamination, but have reported significant improvements in their air quality. Meanwhile, many of the reformulated gasoline areas in California, the Northeast, and several other areas of the country, chose to use MTBE. These areas are now reporting that about 80 percent of their drinking water contains MTBE, which does not biodegrade and which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified as a potential human carcinogen.

For the last few years, California and other parts of the country have sought to solve the problem of MTBE groundwater contamination by removing the oxygenate requirement altogether. In fact, the State of California has petitioned both the Clinton administration and the Bush administration to grant a waiver to exempt the entire State from the oxygenate requirement. On June 12, the President opted to deny this request citing that the EPA has determined, time and again, that the addition of oxygen to gasoline improves air quality by improving fuel combustion and displacing more toxic gasoline components.

Mr. Chairman, I believe the only prudent way to address this problem correctly is to replace MTBE in the United States with ethanol. Indeed, the transition for ethanol to reach California drivers is expected to be neither long nor difficult. It is my understanding that California will need 600 million gallons of ethanol annually to replace MTBE. Ethanol producers currently have the capacity to supply 2 billion gallons per year. This year alone, ethanol producers have already begun the process of shipping 150 million gallons to the State, cost-

effectively and with no transportation impediments. In fact, letters delivered to California on behalf of railroads, barge operators, oceangoing ships, and California gasoline terminals assure that ample shipping and storage capacity exists today to move ethanol from the Midwest to California markets.

I agree with my colleagues that MTBE is a danger to public health. That is why earlier this year I introduced legislation that protects the environment and public safety by totally and immediately banning the use of MTBE as a fuel additive across the United States. The Clean Air Act has done a good job in curbing dangerous emissions, and a key part of this success has been the oxygenate requirement. For the sake of keeping the air clean in California and across the United States, we cannot allow this requirement to be scaled back or waived. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to vote against the Cox amendment.

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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 147, No. 112