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by Mika Pringle Tolson |
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| TSR&TP Director Jerry Last, accompanied by Valerie Purnell, Assistant Director of State Government Relations at UCOP, delivered the UC report on the Health and Environmental Assessment of MTBE to Governor Wilson’s office on Thursday, November 12, 1998. Dr. Last briefed state legislative staff on the contents of the report the following day. The major conclusion of the report is that there are few, if any, air quality benefits of using MTBE as an oxygenate in California’s current reformulated gasoline, and the benefits of MTBE do not significantly outweigh the environmental and human health risks and costs when current and potential contamination of water supplies is considered. The official press advisory from the UCOP and the full report can be viewed on our website. If you would like a paper copy of the report, please contact Cal EPA at (916) 324-7584. |
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| Cover of Volume I. The report was 5 volumes in total. | ||||||
| Following the review of the UC report by USGS and the CDC’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Control, there will be a public comment period before the legislature makes any decisions on MTBE. Cal EPA is organizing two public hearings, which are scheduled for late January. The first will be in Sacramento on January 20th, and the second in Diamond Bar on January 22nd. The principal investigators of the UC MTBE research projects will attend the hearings and be available for comments. Details of the public hearings are posted on Cal EPA’s website at (http://www.calepa.ca.gov/). |
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