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Session of 2000
          House Concurrent Resolution No. 5077           By Committee on Environment           3-23          

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10             A  CONCURRENT  RESOLUTION encouraging the United States
11             Congress to authorize the use of ethanol in reformulated gasoline.
12      
13             WHEREAS,  The federal Clean Air Act requires the use of an oxy-
14       genate in reformulated gasoline used in nonattainment areas; and
15             WHEREAS,  This requirement has resulted in important air quality
16       benefits to our nation; and
17             WHEREAS,  The decision of petroleum refiners to use methyl terti-
18       ary-butyl ether (MTBE) rather than clean, renewable ethanol has resulted
19       in serious degradation of groundwater in some regions; and
20             WHEREAS,  Eliminating the oxygenate requirement is not necessary
21       to allow states to ban MTBE, and would harm efforts to achieve the air
22       quality goals of the Clean Air Act; and
23             WHEREAS,  The United States Department of Agriculture has de-
24       termined that ethanol can replace MTBE in reformulated gasoline na-
25       tionwide within three years, without increases in price or supply disrup-
26       tion; and
27             WHEREAS,  The use of ethanol not only reduces toxins and improves
28       air quality, it reduces America's dependence on imported petroleum and
29       thereby reduces our nation's trade deficit by some $12 billion over the
30       next 10 years, increases farm income by an estimated $1 billion annually
31       and reduces farm program costs by creating important new markets for
32       grain: Now, therefore,
33             Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Kansas,
34       the Senate concurring therein: That the Legislature encourages the
35       United States Congress to maintain its commitment to the federal Clean
36       Air Act by retaining the oxygenate requirement of the reformulated gas-
37       oline program and by implementing standards that ensure the opportu-
38       nity for the use of ethanol blended gasoline in any reformulated gasoline
39       program, thereby preserving the natural environment, protecting the
40       public health and reducing the nation's dependence upon foreign petro-
41       leum; and
42             Be it further resolved: That the Secretary of State is directed to
43       provide an enrolled copy of this resolution to the President of the United

2
  1       States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the
  2       United States House of Representatives and each member of the Kansas
  3       Congressional Delegation.