Doug Bereuter: “I would begin by strongly commending President Bush for his decision to deny California's request for a waiver of the…”

“I would begin by strongly commending President Bush for his decision to deny California's request for a waiver of the reformulated gasoline, the RFG oxygenation requirement. I think this is a huge victory for the American farmers and it is a huge victory for our environment. One of the problems, of course, with the additives used in California and in other States, the MTBE, is that we know now it causes cancer. It is highly soluble in water. It does not biodegrade. Indeed, the problem of MTBE, of course, is not limited to California. It is estimated that about 21 percent of the drinking water wells in RFG areas are contaminated nationwide, and the proper solution to California's problem is to switch to using ethanol to meet the Federal oxygen standards. Now, the impact, of course, on agriculture is particularly important. We will be the first to admit that because we have low commodity prices. Using my State as an example, Nebraska produces about 20 percent of our country's ethanol.”