IV
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. CON. RES. 256
Expressing the sense of Congress with regard to the use of reformulated
gasoline fuels, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 29, 2000
Mr. EWING (for himself, Mr. HASTERT, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. MANZULLO, Mr.
PHELPS, Mr. BARRETT of Nebraska, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. LEACH, Mr.
WELLER, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. COSTELLO, Mr. EVANS, Mr. TERRY, and
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which
was referred to the Committee on Commerce
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of Congress with regard to the use
of reformulated gasoline fuels, and for other purposes.
Whereas ethanol is a domestically produced renewable fuel
additive which makes the United States less dependent
on foreign oil, provides one of the few bright spots in the
Nation’s balance of trade, improves air quality, and stim-
ulates rural economies;
Whereas the widespread use of ethanol in Illinois has made
it one of the only successful reformulated gasoline mar-
kets in the country, according to the American Lung As-
sociation of Metropolitan Chicago;
Whereas more than 95 percent of the fuel sold in Chicago
and surrounding counties contains ethanol in which it is
•HCON 256 IH
used to increase octane and as an oxygenate in reformu-
lated gasoline;
Whereas ethanol demand in the Chicago reformulated gaso-
line market accounts for 400 million gallons each year,
or one quarter of the United States ethanol industry’s
annual production;
Whereas Illinois uses 17 percent of the State’s corn crop for
ethanol production, or 1 in every 6 rows of corn grown
in the State, adding approximately $870 million in gross
income to net farm income each year;
Whereas investment by the ethanol industry in Illinois ex-
ceeds $1 billion, generating 800 jobs in plant operation
and 4,000 jobs in the industry-related service sector;
Whereas Illinois ethanol production alone has increased the
national market price for corn by 25 cents per bushel;
Whereas ethanol reduces carbon monoxide emissions by as
much as 25 percent, more than any other petroleum-
based transportation fuel;
Whereas according to the Department of Energy’s Argonne
National Laboratory, ethanol fuels reduce greenhouse
gases that cause global warming by approximately 40
percent, as compared to traditional nonblended gasoline;
Whereas serious concerns about the use of methyl tertiary
butyl ether (MTBE) have been raised by States in which
it is currently used as the primary oxygenate, such as
California and New Jersey;
Whereas the city of Chicago has raised legitimate concerns
about the use of MTBE in the State of Illinois;
Whereas if the Environmental Protection Agency does not
change its Phase II reformulated gasoline regulations, re-
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finers supplying the Chicago reformulated gasoline mar-
ket could be forced to replace ethanol with MTBE, caus-
ing Illinois to lose an important value-added market for
corn; and
Whereas if MTBE replaces ethanol in Chicago reformulated
gasoline, consumer gasoline costs will rise and public
health could be jeopardized by leaks or spillage of
MTBE-enhanced gasoline, which could contaminate
drinking water supplies: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that the
United States Government should—
(1) promote the continued use of renewable eth-
anol in the Chicago reformulated gasoline market
and in other reformulated gasoline areas as a means
of enhancing energy security and supporting farm
income;
(2) allow State and local governments the op-
tion of limiting the use of methyl tertiary butyl ether
(MTBE) as an oxygenate until those governments
are certain that MTBE will not harm their environ-
ments; and
(3) require the Environmental Protection Agen-
cy to revise the Phase II reformulated gasoline regu-
lations under section 211 of the Clean Air Act to