September 10, 1999

NOTICE OF PUBLIC WORKSHOP ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND
POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS OF USING ETHANOL IN GASOLINE

The California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA), and the staffs of the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), and the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) will conduct a public workshop at the time and place noted below to discuss preliminary results for Task 10 of Executive Order D-5-99 issued by Governor Gray Davis on March 25, 1999. The Executive Order calls for the removal of methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) from gasoline at the earliest possible date, but not later than December 31, 2002. It is possible that there will be a continuing federal requirement for oxygenated gasoline in non-attainment areas beyond this date. Task 10 of the Executive Order directs CARB and SWRCB to conduct an environmental fate and transport analysis of ethanol in air, surface water, and groundwater. OEHHA is to prepare an analysis of the health risks of ethanol in gasoline, the products of incomplete combustion of ethanol in gasoline, and any resulting secondary transformation products. Reports of the analyses are to be completed and peer reviewed by December 31, 1999. Cal/EPA is coordinating the implementation of the Governor's Executive Order and will conduct the workshop. The time and place of the workshop will be:

The agencies are specifically seeking public input on scientific, engineering, and environmental issues directly related to storage, environmental fate and transport, and use of ethanol in gasoline. Public input is also sought on the potential health effects of products of incomplete combustion of ethanol in gasoline or secondary transformation products resulting from the use of ethanol-blended gasolines. Please bring multiple copies of any written materials you would like to have considered by workshop participants.

The workshop is accessible to persons with disabilities. If accommodation is needed, please contact Joann Myhre at (916) 322-6076 by September 24, 1999. Persons with hearing or speech impairments can contact us by using our Telephone Device for the Deaf (TDD) at (916) 324-9531 or (800) 700-8326 for TDD calls from outside the Sacramento area.

The full text of the Governor's Executive Order and work plans are currently available at http://www.calepa.ca.gov/programs/MTBE/EOTasks.htm. A workshop agenda and draft work products will be available on the web page by September 24, 1999. If you have questions about this meeting, please contact Jeanine Townsend of Cal/EPA at (916) 324-7582 or Dr. William Vance of Cal/EPA at bvance@calepa.ca.gov.