SAN FRANCISCO, March 23 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has acted to ban MTBE as an additive in gasoline. But what about the MTBE already in our groundwater and drinking water? Researchers will review the locations of affected sites around the nation and in California, in particular, at a special news briefing. They will also present the latest research on the characteristics of MTBE and the future of bioremediation.

WHO: Bart Koch
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, La Verne, Calif.
National assessment of MTBE in drinking water (tentative)

Murray Einarson
University of Waterloo, Stanford, Calif.
Characteristics of MTBE

Joseph E. Odencrantz
Tri-S Environmental, Inc., Newport Beach, Calif.
Database of more than 500 groundwater sites in southern California

Matt Small
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, San Francisco, Calif.
Overview of states' response to the MTBE issue

Douglas Mackay
University of Waterloo, Stanford, Calif.
Field tests of remediation of MTBE plumes

WHAT: MTBE in Groundwater and Drinking Water: Prevalence, Characteristics and Remediation

WHEN: Monday, March 27, 10 a.m. PST

WHERE: Moscone Convention Center, Room 114

REPORTERS COVERING THIS EVENT MUST FIRST CONTACT THE ACS PRESS OFFICE AT 415-923-7510.

In all, more than 50 research papers on MTBE and related issues are being presented at the 219th meeting of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society, in San Francisco, Calif., March 26-30.

A nonprofit organization with a membership of 161,000 chemists and chemical engineers, the American Chemical Society ( www.acs.org ) publishes scientific journals and databases, convenes major research conferences, and provides educational, science policy and career programs in chemistry. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.