---

Water Agencies to Testify in Favor of Bill Funding Cleanup

3 August 1998

ADVISORY/Water Agencies to Testify in Favor of Bill Funding Cleanup for Water Contaminated by MTBE

    --


    A bill that would provide major funding for the cleanup and treatment of drinking water sources contaminated with a gasoline additive will be heard before a state Assembly committee this afternoon.
    Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) Legislative Director Bob Reeb and representatives of affected water agencies will testify before the Assembly Transportation Committee at 1:30 p.m. in support of Senate Bill 2198 (Sher).
    The bill creates the Drinking Water Treatment and Research Fund that water agencies could access to recover costs stemming from contamination by MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether), a gasoline additive that has contaminated groundwater at more than 10,000 sites in California.
    Start up money for the fund would come from a one-time transfers of $20 million from the existing Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Fund. If the drinking water fund drops below $5 million, a new fee on gasoline would be triggered, collected at the "rack," or the point at which refineries and bulk terminals distribute gasoline to wholesalers and distributors.

WHAT:    ASSEMBLY TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
WHEN:    MONDAY, AUG. 3; 1:30 P.M.
WHERE:   STATE CAPITOL BUILDING,  ROOM 4202

    ACWA is a statewide association whose 440 public agency members collectively are responsible for 90% of the water delivered in California.