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Article: TESTING OF WATER SUPPLIES FOR GAS ADDITIVE TO BEGIN ROCKINGHAM AREA AT HIGHEST RISK
- Article from:
- The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)
- Article date:
- January 9, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2003 The Boston Globe. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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With Rockingham County considered at highest risk for MTBE
pollution in the state, environmental officials are about to
investigate how extensively the county's water supplies have been
infiltrated.
This month, the US Geological Survey (USGS) will start testing for
the presence of MTBE in drinking water from private wells and public
water sources throughout Rockingham County.
MTBE, or methyl tertiary-butyl ether, is a colorless gasoline
additive and proven animal carcinogen that slips lightning-quick
through the ground.
First used as a substitute for lead in gas in 1979, it later
served to oxygenate fuel in the 1990s. Because MTBE adds oxygen to
gasoline, it is supposed to make the fuel burn ...