The Great Lakes region’s largest city has become the first in thenation to ban a gas additive that has been linked to groundwatercontamination. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Jonathan Ahl reports:
Transcript
The Great Lakes region’s largest city has become the first in the nation to ban a gas
additive that has been linked to groundwater contamination. The Great Lakes Radio
Consortium’s Jonathan Ahl reports.
The Chicago City Council recently banned all manufacture, sale, and use of MTBE
within the city. MTBE is a fuel additive that is used to decrease air pollution. However,
it has been found to be a potent water pollutant. Some environmentalists are hailing
Chicago’s the move. Eric Vaughn is the president of the Renewable Fuels Association.
“But I think that Chicago recognizes the threat that MTBE poses and just
looks at the Great Lakes and finds it unacceptable that you could contaminate the Great
Lakes with an unnecessary, highly toxic chemical.”
Vaughn says this move is a major step toward a nationwide ban of the gas additive that is
intended to decrease air pollution. Eleven states are in the process of phasing out MTBE
over the next two years. Chicago currently uses corn-based ethanol as an additive to fuel
to lower emissions and comply with federal clean air standards. For the Great Lakes
Radio Consortium, I’m Jonathan Ahl.