Originally Posted by
Rick Kirchner
MTBE's problem was solely that it was poisonous (where ethanol isn't) and combines with groundwater just as easily. So, given all the underground storage tanks we now have a huge problem with groundwater contamination that will not go away for decades. At least it makes the water tase bad at low concentrations, so you have an idea that something is wrong.
MTBE had a leg up in Cali because ARCO is headquarted and incorporated in the state, and they were a major producer. And Cali neither wanted to send it's dollars to midwest farmers nor deal with the transportation issues ethanol would bring.
IIRC, MTBE is pretty destructive to neoprene fuel cells. ETBE, who knows?