[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1037 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1037

  To amend the Toxic Substances Control Act to provide for a gradual 
  reduction in the use of methyl tertiary butyl ether, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 13, 1999

  Mrs. Boxer introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Toxic Substances Control Act to provide for a gradual 
  reduction in the use of methyl tertiary butyl ether, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. USE OF METHYL TERTIARY BUTYL ETHER.

    Section 6 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2605) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(f) Use of Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether.--
            ``(1) Prohibition on use in specified nonattainment 
        areas.--Effective beginning January 1, 2000, a person shall not 
        use methyl tertiary butyl ether in an area of the United States 
        that is not a specified nonattainment area that is required to 
        meet the oxygen content requirement for reformulated gasoline 
        established under section 211(k) of the Clean Air Act (42 
        U.S.C. 7545(k)).
            ``(2) Prohibition on use in areas of leakage.--If the 
        Administrator finds that methyl tertiary butyl ether is leaking 
        into ground water or surface water in an area, the 
        Administrator may immediately prohibit the use of methyl 
        tertiary butyl ether in the area.
            ``(3) Upgrading of underground storage tanks.--In enforcing 
        the requirement that underground storage tanks be upgraded in 
        accordance with section 280.21 of title 40, Code of Federal 
        Regulations, the Administrator shall focus enforcement of the 
        requirement on areas described in paragraph (2).
            ``(4) Use of methyl tertiary butyl ether in gasoline.--
                    ``(A) Interim period.--
                            ``(i) Phased reduction.--
                                    ``(I) In general.--The 
                                Administrator shall promulgate 
                                regulations to require--
                                            ``(aa) by January 1, 2001, 
                                        a \1/3\ reduction in the 
                                        quantity of methyl tertiary 
                                        butyl ether that may be used in 
                                        gasoline; and
                                            ``(bb) by January 1, 2002, 
                                        a \2/3\ reduction in the 
                                        quantity of methyl tertiary 
                                        butyl ether that may be used in 
                                        gasoline.
                                    ``(II) Basis for reductions.--
                                Reductions under subclause (I) shall be 
                                based on the quantity of methyl 
                                tertiary butyl ether in use in gasoline 
                                in the United States as of the date of 
                                enactment of this subsection.
                            ``(ii) Labeling.--During the period 
                        beginning on the date of enactment of this 
                        subsection and ending December 31, 2002, the 
                        Administrator shall require any person selling 
                        gasoline that contains methyl tertiary butyl 
                        ether at retail to prominently label the fuel 
                        dispensing system for the gasoline with a 
                        notice that the gasoline contains methyl 
                        tertiary butyl ether.
                    ``(B) Prohibition.--Effective beginning January 1, 
                2003, a person shall not use methyl tertiary butyl 
                ether in gasoline.''.

SEC. 2. STUDY OF EFFECTS OF FUEL COMPONENTS.

    Not later than July 31, 2000, the Administrator of the 
Environmental Protection Agency shall--
            (1) conduct a study of the behavior, toxicity, 
        carcinogenicity, health effects, and biodegradability, in air 
        and water, of ethanol, olefins, aromatics, benzene, and 
        alkylate; and
            (2) report the results of the study to Congress.
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