Amherst, MA. - In an announcement
today, the Association for Environmental Health and Sciences
(AEHS), Amherst, MA, discusses the recent efforts to
quantify the costs associated with remediation of leaking
underground storage tank (LUST) sites where the fuel
oxygenate MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether) is present.
AEHS is an organization of
multidisciplinary, environmental professionals and was
created to facilitate communication and foster cooperation
among those concerned with soil protection and cleanup. AEHS
is devoted to enhancing the flow of information between the
regulatory and regulated communities; scientists and
non-scientists, theoreticians and practitioners; and the
public and private sectors. Many studies have been done over
the past decade to estimate MTBE cleanup costs, but few have
been comprehensive in scope or transparent in methodology.
The interest in quantifying potential costs has been driven
by the draft Energy Policy Act legislation (Energy Bill),
which includes a provision for public funding of cleanup at
sites impacted by MTBE.
ENSR International, Westford, Mass.,
is researching and preparing a study, soon to be released,
which will fully outline the national remediation costs
associated with MTBE.
By trending the EPA confirmed release
data for the past 20 years, evaluating the history of
nationwide cleanup costs, and then incorporating forecasts
for streamlined technologies and cleanup methods, a national
total cost of MTBE remediation over the coming 30 years is
predicted to be in the range of $1 to $3 billion.
According to the EPA LUST Trust Fund,
an estimated 4% of LUST cases have no identifiable
responsible party, which will require public funding for
cleanup. From this information, one can project that public
liability for the future expense of MTBE cleanup could be
approximately 4% of this projected total $1 to $3 billion,
or $40 to $150 million.
MTBE has been present in gasoline as
an octane booster since 1979. With the passage of the Clean
Air Act of 1990, use and concentration of MTBE in gasoline
increased during the 1990s to meet the requirements for
refiners to produce oxygenated fuel, which burns cleaner and
reduces tailpipe emissions of ozone precursors. Since the
1990s, other oxygenates have been introduced, which has
reduced the percentage of gasoline that contains MTBE.
The new study by ENSR International is
due to be published in part through RemediationWeekly.com,
and in the AEHS newsletter, The Matrix. Publication is
expected in early summer.
ENSR International is a full-service
global provider of environmental and energy services to
industry and government. ENSR's 1,600 professionals provide
consulting, engineering and remediation from 70 worldwide
locations, including 45 in the U.S. Over its 35-year
history, ENSR has successfully executed 75,000 environmental
projects. Clients include some of the world’s largest water
supply companies, as well as dozens of major petroleum
companies, whom the company has assisted with investigation,
design and remediation at thousands of sites across the U.S.
and around the world.
For further information, contact:
ENSR International
2 Technology Park Drive
Westford, MA 01886-3140
John Petraglia
978-589-3000
jpetraglia@ensr.com
www.ensr.com
The Association for Environmental
Health and Sciences
150 Fearing Street
Amherst, MA 01002
413-549-5561
info@aehs.com
www.aehs.com
