Underground Storage Tanks

These resources provide general information about methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE). In addition, links to organizations with MTBE-related resources are provided. For more MTBE topics, return to the MTBE main page.

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Background Information

• An Overview of the Use of Oxygenates in Gasoline (34 pp, 102K, About PDF) 1998.
  This report by California's Environmental Protection Agency provides information on the use of oxygenates in gasoline in California and in the United States, including how and why oxygenates are used, their production and consumption levels, and the potential environmental impacts of their use.
• Interagency Assessment of Oxygenated Fuels, June 1997 (PDF) (264 pp, 3.4MB, About PDF) 1997.
  This report, prepared by the National Technology and Science Council and the Office of Science and Technology Policy, presents information on issues surrounding the winter oxygenated fuels program and MTBE.
• MTBE Fact Sheet #1: Overview (PDF) (5 pp, 88K, About PDF) 1998. EPA 510-F-97-014.
  Published by EPA, this fact sheet provides background information on MTBE standards and regulations.
• MTBE in Gasoline: Clean Air and Drinking Water Issues (PDF) (29 pp, 402K, About PDF) 2006.
  In this report for Congress, a variety of MTBE-related issues are discussed, including health effects, legislation, alternatives, and more.
• MTBE: Effects on Soil and Groundwater Resources 2000.
  This book provides in-depth information on MTBE including, but not limited to, assessment and potential remediation strategies, history and overview, physical and chemical properties, and toxicity and health effects.
• The Eleven Myths About MTBE (PDF) (8 pp, 454K, About PDF) 2002.
  Published in L.U.S.T. Line, a technical newsletter for underground storage tank stakeholders, this article reviews common myths associated with MTBE.
• The Paradoxes of MTBE 2001.
  This report, published in Toxicological Sciences, explores the risk-benefit tradeoffs of MTBE and its implications for other fuel additives.

Organizations

• American Water Works Association (AWWA)
• California Air Resources Board
• European Fuel Oxygenates Association
• National Water Research Institute
• US Department of Energy - Energy Information Administration
• US Environmental Protection Agency
  • Office of Research & Development (ORD)
    • National Center for Environmental Assessment (NCEA)
    • Ground Water and Ecosystems Research
  • Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ)
  • Office of Water (OW)
    
  • Technology Innovation and Field Services Division
    • Contaminant Focus
    • Treatment Profiles
• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
  • National Water Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA)
  • Toxic Substances Hydrology Program

Non-Electronic Resources

• Woodward, R.E. and R.L. Sloan. Common Myths, Misconceptions and Assumptions about MTBE: Where Are We Now? Soil Sediment & Groundwater. July/August 2002.
  This article explores 12 myths related to MTBE as they were understood in 2002.

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