Energy Bill: DeLay Pushing to Protect MTBE Makers from Liability

Embattled House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is being challenged by Democrats on one of his top priorities -- protecting makers of the gasoline additive MTBE from liability lawsuits, an issue that blocked energy legislation two years ago.
A draft Republican energy bill would protect MTBE makers, including several major oil and refinery companies in Texas, from lawsuits that contend the manufacturers knew the additive would contaminate drinking water, but pushed to have it widely used anyway.
DeLay, joined by Rep. Joe Barton, a fellow Texas Republican, has been the primary force behind the MTBE provision. It cleared the House two years ago, but prompted such an uproar in the Senate that it scuttled a massive energy bill that was nearing approval.
Democrats said they will try on Wednesday to strip the MTBE provision from a revised energy bill being worked on by Barton's Energy and Commerce Committee. Supporters of the measure said they are confident they can beat back the challenge.

From Answers.com:
Opponents of MTBE note that as an ether, MTBE has a chemical attraction to the water molecule and increases the solubility of other, harmful components of gasoline. Because of this, MTBE often ends up in drinking water, especially in cases where oil storage tanks leak near populated areas, and may make contamination by other compounds more likely. MTBE biodegrades very slowly, remaining in water for decades or more. The oil industry did not test MTBE for its effects on human health before approving it as an additive, as the EPA did not require such tests.
Advocates of MTBE use, such as the oil industry, contend that there are no harmful effects of MTBE in humans. They note that there are no reported cases of a person becoming sick from MTBE in drinking water. Although MTBE has been labelled a "potential human carcinogen" by the Environmental Protection Agency, no carcinogenic properties have been confirmed. Advocates also say that gasoline manufacturers have been forced to add MTBE to gasoline by law.