Another Republican with his head in the sand

From the NY Times:

MTBE dissolves easily in water and does not readily cling to soil, so it moves faster and farther in the ground than other gasoline components. This makes it more likely to seep into water supplies. With its powerful turpentine-like taste and odor, MTBE makes water undrinkable.

(snip)

Based on one study on laboratory rats, the E.P.A. has concluded that MTBE is a "potential human carcinogen at high doses." But there is no conclusive evidence on health risks for low doses. California, New York and 15 other states have banned MTBE, and the E.P.A. has taken preliminary steps to ban it nationally. Corn-based ethanol is replacing MTBE in gasoline in those states that have enacted bans.

(snip)

According to the survey by the Environmental Working Group, an environmental research firm based in Washington, MTBE has been detected in 1,861 water systems in 29 states, serving more than 45 million Americans. This is up from about 1,500 systems in 19 states in November 2003.

How would you expect a Texas Republican to react to all that? You guessed it:

[Representative Joe L.] Barton said he was unconvinced that MTBE was a growing national problem and said it was being unfairly maligned in the suits. "I will never agree that MTBE is defective," he said.

I guess Rep. Barton wants you drinking more MTBE.

Someone ought to offer him up a glass of water contaminated with the stuff and suggest that if it's so "unfairly maligned," he won't mind showing America how great it is. Who wants to invite him over for dinner?