California is suing the US Environmental Protection Agency in a bid to
overturn a ruling that ethanol must be added to automotive fuel sold in most of
the state. In June, the EPA insisted that ethanol must replace the fuel additive
MTBE, which California is phasing out because it causes water pollution
(see 鈥淕oing up in smoke鈥).
The state and environmental groups had argued that improved technology
meant such additives were not needed. Frank O鈥橠onnell of the Clean Air Trust
called the EPA鈥檚 move 鈥渁n astonishingly bad decision鈥, as ethanol can also
pollute. Democratic governor Gray Davis says the decision is political: ethanol
is made with corn from Midwestern states which, unlike California, voted for
Bush last November.
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