Document text
Oxy fuel season rolls around By PAUL FATTIG Vehicles pulling up to gas pumps in Jackson County and Grants Pass will receive oxygenated fuel beginning Nov. 1. The seasonal switch from standard gasoline to what is commonly known as "oxy fuel" is required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of a clean air program administered by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The oxy fuel season ends Feb. 29, 2000. The annual change, which began in the winter of 1992-93, has continued because the areas have not met the federal standard for carbon monoxide pollution, said John Becker, the DEQ's air quality manager for the state's western region. The Clean Air Act that Congress renewed in 1990 requires areas such as Medford to use oxygenated fuels. Oxygenated gasoline typically contains either ethanol or methyl-tertiary-butyl-ethyl (MTBE), both EPA-approved additives. However, the switch to oxy fuel each winter has been opposed by some local residents who cite health concerns as well as potential mechanical problems for their vehicles. A change may be in the offing for Grants Pass residents. The DEQ has requested that the EPA reclassify Grants Pass as an area that now meets carbon monoxide standards. That action was taken after the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission on Oct. 1 approved a carbon monoxide maintenance plan showing that the city will continue to meet the standard without the need for oxygenated fuel through 2015. Once the EPA approves the plan, oxy fuel will be discontinued in Grants Pass, possibly by next winter, according to the DEQ. That change is possible because of improved traffic flow and new technology, Becker said, adding that Jackson County's pollution problem created by more traffic poses a bigger challenges. "The Medford area has a larger population with a larger growth trend," explained Becker, who is based in Medford. "Our population and growth trends are roughly two-and-a-half times that of Grants Pass." However, studies are under way to determine if the Medford area can also meet the federal standards, Becker said, and "if that's the case, that oxy fuel is no longer needed here, that will be recommended to the EPA." That would be good news to Jackson County Commissioner Ric Holt, who opposes the use of oxy fuel. Holt, a leading opponent to the use of oxy fuels, has been critical of the use of the additive MTBE, which has been found in some oxy fuels in California and elsewhere but not in Southern Oregon. Ethanol -- grain alcohol -- is the predominant additive during the oxygenated fuel season in Oregon, according to the DEQ. Holt has raised questions about the health effects of MTBE, a known carcinogen, which when combusted with gasoline and inhaled by humans is suspected of causing nausea, headaches, asthma, rashes and other ills. "Ethanol in its present form is proven to be a toxic element," Holt said. "It kills vegetation. They have known this stuff is bad for years. It may reduce carbon monoxide to a degree, but we still don't know what it is doing to us." The EPA has not done a sufficient environmental impact study to determine the impact of the chemicals on humans, he said. Holt is also concerned that oxy fuels can harm vehicle engines, particularly those in older cars. Oxy fuels, which flush a car's system of deposits and residue, can clog the fuel filter, but the problem is eliminated once the filter is replaced, according to DEQ officials. The EPA estimates that using oxy fuels causes an average three percent decrease in fuel efficiency. During the winter oxy fuel season, the DEQ does random samples of gas stations to ensure that the law is being followed, Becker said. Recent surveys here indicate that MTBEs are not being used as an additive, he said. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA