Underground Storage Tanks

These resources provide information on federal and state policies and regulations pertaining to methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE). For more MTBE resources, return to the MTBE main page.

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Federal Policy on MTBE

• Additions to the Master Testing List -- Categories Undated.
  Prepared by EPA's Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances (OPPTS), this list presents categories targeted by EPA for testing needs and/or testing action development.
• Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Control MTBE in Gasoline 2000. EPA 420-F-00-012.
  This document provides information about EPA's formal regulatory action to eliminate or phase down MTBE under Section 6 of the Toxic Substances Control Act.
• Areas Participating in the Oxygenated Gasoline Program 1999.
  Prepared by the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration, this Web page provides state-by-state information on oxygenated gasoline program participation and links to additional resources and regulations.
• Control of MTBE in Gasoline 2000. EPA 420-F-00-010.
  Prepared by EPA, this Web page provides information on topics related to MTBE in gasoline, including the expansion of ethanol use, a table of areas that have converted to reformulated gasoline, and MTBE in water.
• Fact Sheet: Funding MTBE Prevention and Remediation Projects with the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (PDF) (2 pp, 36K, About PDF) 2000. EPA 832-F-00-004.
  This fact sheet, prepared by EPA's Office of Water, reviews issues related to MTBE contamination and the use of Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) funding in its remediation and prevention.
• Testimony from John Stephenson - GAO Report on MTBE Contamination From Underground Storage Tanks (PDF) (19 pp, 642K, About PDF) 2002.
  A report presented before the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials, Committee on Energy and Commerce presents information related to MTBE contamination from underground storage tanks (USTs).
• Leak Source and Leak Detection Data Collection and Analysis (PDF) (27 pp, 90K, About PDF) 1999.
  This UST Team 3 report examines whether the standards for new and upgraded UST systems are adequate to protect water resources from MTBE contamination.
• Map of Current RFG Areas 2012.
  Maintained by EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality, this Web page provides a map of reformulated gasoline (RFG) areas and county-level data.
• Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE); Advance Notice of Intent To Initiate Rulemaking Under the Toxic Substances Control Act To Eliminate or Limit the Use of MTBE as a Fuel Additive in Gasoline (PDF) (17 pp, 293K, About PDF) 2000.
  This notice first appeared in this Federal Register listing.
• Monitoring and Reporting of MTBE and Other Oxygenates at UST Release Sites (PDF) (4 pp, 16K , About PDF) 2000.
  In this memo, EPA's Acting Director of the Office of Underground Storage Tanks, recommends that all state UST/LUST program managers immediately begin monitoring and reporting of MTBE and other oxygenates in ground water at all UST release sites nationwide.
• Motor Fuels - Issues Related to Reformulated Gasoline, Oxygenated Fuels, and Biofuels (PDF) (68 pp, 718K, About PDF) 1996.
  This GAO report summarizes the results of studies on the cost-effectiveness of reformulated gasoline use, the potential for oxygenates to reduce the use of petroleum, and ongoing federal research into biofuels.
• 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.
• Origin of the Reformulated Gasoline Program 1995. EPA 420-F-95-001.
  This EPA Web site provides background information on EPA's reformulated gasoline program.
• Report on Inter-Agency Meetings on MTBE, September 2000 (PDF) (17 pp, 62K , About PDF) 2000.
  This report presents the outcome of inter-agency meetings regarding MTBE.

Air Quality Standards

• Green Book Nonattainment Areas for Criteria Pollutants Undated.
  This EPA Web page provides information on areas of the country where air pollution levels persistently exceed the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Links to additional resources are provided.
• Motor Vehicle-Related Air Toxics Study (PDF) (125 pp, 345K , About PDF) 1993.
  Published by EPA's Office of Mobile Sources in 1993, this report presents the results of a study on controlling emissions of unregulated toxic air pollutants and the means and measures for such controls.

Fuel Quality Standards

• Gasoline Composition Regulations Affecting LUST Sites (PDF) (39 pp, 1.02MB , About PDF) 2010. EPA 600-R-10-001.

Water Quality Standards

• Drinking Water Advisory: Consumer Acceptability Advice and Health Effects Analysis on Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether (MtBE) Undated.
  Prepared by EPA's Office of Water, this advisory provides guidance to communities exposed to drinking water contaminated with MTBE.
• Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List 2008.
  EPA's Office of Water provides information on the contaminate candidate list and related information on this Web page.
• Drinking Water: Regulatory Determinations Regarding Contaminants on the Second Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List-Preliminary Determinations; Proposed Rule (PDF) (44 pp, 1.3MB, About PDF) 2007.
  This Federal Register entry details regulatory determinations regarding drinking water contaminants including MTBE.
• EPA Press Releases 1999-2001

State Policy on MTBE

• A Recommendation Regarding the Use of Alcohols as Gasoline Oxygenates (PDF) (9 pp, 63K, About PDF) 2006.
  This report presents the recommendation of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources regarding the need to ban the sale of gasoline containing alcohols used as oxygenates, including methanol, iso-butanol, isopropanol, and others.
• Guidelines for Investigation and Cleanup of MTBE and Other Ether-Based Oxygenates (PDF) (20 pp, 72K, About PDF) 2000.
  Prepared by California's State Water Resource Control Board, this document provides guidance to California regulatory agencies on overseeing the investigation and cleanup of sites with MTBE contamination.
• MTBE: Regulations and Drinking Water Monitoring Results 2008.
  Prepared by California's Department of Public Health, this Web page includes drinking water standards, maximum contaminant levels, and comprehensive evaluation of the health and environmental effects of MTBE and other oxygenates.
• State Actions Banning MTBE (Statewide) (PDF) (4 pp, 45K, About PDF) 2007. EPA 420-B-07-013.
  This EPA report provides state-by-state information on MTBE bans.
• State-by-State Survey of Soil and Groundwater Cleanup Standards 2003.
  The Association for the Environmental Health of Soils (AEHS) conducts an occasional survey of state standards for petroleum fuel constituents in soil and ground water. The last survey was completed in 2003.
• Status and Impact of State MTBE Ban 2003.
  The U.S. Department of Energy prepared this Web page, which provides information related to MTBE bans, including the supply of ethanol, impact on gasoline prices, and status of bans.

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