R 49
2000-H 6989am
Enacted 2/1/2000


H  O  U  S  E     R  E  S  O  L  U  T  I  O  N

URGENTLY REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT TO INVESTIGATE THE GASOLINE ADDITIVE MTBE AND DETERMINE IF THE STATE SHOULD REGULATE OR BAN ITS USE IN RHODE ISLAND

Introduced By:  Representatives Montanaro, C. Levesque, Martineau and Sherlock Date Introduced:  January 26, 2000

WHEREAS, The interest in MTBE has grown tremendously since the NBC's 60 Minutes January 23rd episode. The significant impact MTBE has on our well water cannot go unnoticed. In 1990, President George Bush signed into law the use of MTBE, which would require gasoline companies add MTBE to their gasoline. This was proven to help air quality. However, research at that time was not conducted to find out what effects MTBE would have on water quality in the case of a gas station pump leak; and

WHEREAS, Pumps from various gas stations around the country have leaked. Only now is there a growing concern for the fact that MTBE could possibly harm humans. In the past few years, scientists have discovered that laboratory mice injected with MTBE have developed cancer; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations hereby urges the Department of Environmental Management to look into the gasoline additive MTBE, and determine if the state should regulate or ban its use in Rhode Island; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Director of the Department of Environmental Management.

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