Sec. 1. 10 MRSA §1453, sub-§§7-A and 7-B are enacted to read:

7-A.__Motor fuel dispenser.__"Motor fuel dispenser" means a commercial motor fuel dispenser that dispenses automobile gasoline for retail sale;

7-B.__MTBE.__"MTBE" means the gasoline oxygenate methyl tertiary butyl ether;

Sec. 2. 10 MRSA §1459 is enacted to read:

§1459.__Prohibition on sale of MTBE

A person may not own or operate a motor fuel dispenser in this State that dispenses automobile gasoline containing MTBE in a measurable quantity.

Sec. 3. 10 MRSA §2413, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 709, §1, is repealed.

Sec. 4. 38 MRSA §585-H, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 709, §2, is repealed.

SUMMARY

Current law requires the Department of Environmental Protection to work towards the goal of the elimination of MTBE, the gasoline oxygenate methyl tertiary butyl ether, in gasoline sold in Maine by January 1, 2003.

This bill prohibits the retail sale of automobile gasoline containing MTBE.