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91_HR0578
LRB9112667ACtmA
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) is a gasoline
3 additive that increases the oxygen content of gasoline,
4 making the fuel burn more cleanly and reducing smog; recently
5 the additive has raised many health concerns; and
6 WHEREAS, Leaking gasoline storage tanks and pipelines
7 have caused MTBE to seep into drinking water supplies in
8 dozens of states where the chemical is used, giving the water
9 a turpentine-like taste and smell; and
10 WHEREAS, MTBE was hailed as the savior of the federal
11 Clean Air Act in the early 1990s; now the chemical is under
12 scrutiny as it poses a health hazard and has been listed as a
13 possible carcinogen; and
14 WHEREAS, Included in the list of alternatives to MTBE is
15 corn-based ethanol; Illinois' ethanol industry supports over
16 50,000 jobs in the corn farming and ethanol processing
17 sector, with major facilities in Peoria, Decatur, and
18 elsewhere in the State, making ethanol readily available
19 within Illinois; therefore, be it
20 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-
21 FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
22 respectfully urge the U.S. Congress to pass legislation
23 banning the use of MTBE as a gasoline additive in the United
24 States; and be it further
25 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
26 delivered to the President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate,
27 the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, the members
28 of the Illinois congressional delegation, the Administrator
29 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Governor George
30 Ryan, the President of the Illinois Senate, the Director of
31 the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, and the
-2- LRB9112667ACtmA
1 Chairman of the Pollution Control Board.