Testimony In Support Of:
824 ~

LD

Joint Standing

“An Act Regarding Ethanol Motor Fuel”

Committee on Environment and Natural Resources

March

Good

26, 2015

afternoon Senator Saviello, Representative

Welsh and

distinguished

Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.
before you today in support of LD 824.

I

members of the

am Ralph F.

Stevens, and

Joint

I

stand

This testimony deals primarily with acetaldehyde from the ethanol presently being used in our
gasoline.

The 10%
added

ethanol added to our gasoline

make

is

in reality,

9%

ethanol and

the ethanol poisonous and undrinkable.

1% methanol.

The exhaust by-product of

Methanol

is

ethanol

acetaldehyde and formaldehyde from the methanol. Both of these by-products are

is

to

increased with the use of ethanol.

One

study was done by the State of Utah of the effects of

oxygenated gasoline on particulate concentrations in Salt Lake and Utah counties during the
winter season, 1994-1995. This study used both MTBE and Ethanol as oxygenates. We know

from dealing with MTBE in the

past, that

it is

a major contributor of formaldehyde. Since

we

are

dealing with acetaldehyde, those are the percent increases that will be given. Measurements were

when the minimum and maximum amounts were expected. The increases shown are 758%
and 796% respectively. Representative Beth O’Connor gave past testimony on LD839 during the

taken

showed, that E-85, produced acetaldehyde increases of
1400% to 3600%. The Clean Air Act Amendment of 1990 (CAAA) list 180 “hazardous air
pollutants” , of which acetaldehyde, formaldehyde and benzene are included.
125th

and 126m

legislative sessions that

1

To be on

this

not limited

list,

to,

a pollutant must be

substances which are

“
.

.

.a threat to

known to

adverse

be, or

human health

may reasonably be

effects (including, but

anticipated to be,

carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, neurotoxic, which cause reproductive dysfunction which or
which are acutely or chronically toxic). .” Benzene, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde are all
.

carcinogenic, and acetaldehyde

soon as

it

is

.

also a potent neurotoxin. Ethanol metabolizes in the body, as

enters the mouth, into acetaldehyde, thus affecting every organ in the body.

Acetaldehyde also enters the body thru inhalation causing the same effect as alcohol. Alcohol
consumption is a choice, inhalation of acetaldehyde is not a choice if one chooses to live!
Increased acetaldehyde

is

in the air in increased

amounts 24/7 making any health

effects chronic

found no health effect studies for infants or children. To subject them to such a study
would be unethical. If it is unethical to do such a study or studies on a much smaller scale, what
makes it so ethical to do so on a much larger scale? What right does anyone have to put
over time.

I

increased amounts of a Group
neurotoxin, into our air?

I

human

carcinogen,

now

equal to benzene, and a potent

 A private
federal

company cannot

government can?

testing with a

which
by

it

states,

violate the

N0

CAAA of l990 without suffering stiff penalties

one has the right

to subject its citizens to

and yet the

such a large scale of

human carcinogen and potent neurotoxin. Our Constitution has a 10th Amendment
“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited

to the States,

are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

” There

is

nothing in

our U.S. Constitution that allows for the Federal Govermnent to put increased amounts of a

human

carcinogen and a potent neurotoxin into our

air.

The government of the

State of Maine

has an obligation to Cease and Desist the use of ethanol in our gasoline.
If Maine

were

to

be the only

required to use a boutique gasoline with higher prices.

same

we will be
we heard the

state to discontinue ethanol, the predictions are that

prediction about discontinuing

MTBE. The

Not too many years

predictions

not rise to the 8 to 9 cents predicted, nor were supplies short.

summer and regular baseline

gas in the Winter.

I

ago,

were wrong. Gasoline prices did

We used a ‘southern gas’

was informed

expectations for cleaner air in the summer. The predictions by the naysayers were

and they are wrong today.

I

in the

that the ‘southern gas’ exceeded

wrong then

urge you to not make the same mistake again.

Ralph F. Stevens
79 Old South Road
South Berwick, Maine 03908
(207) 384-5013

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