Iowa DNR: Groundwater Professional Bulletin Board

The 1999 Iowa legislature passed 1999 Iowa Acts, House File 772 that contains a provision in Section 15, paragraph 4"c" requiring the testing for MTBE in soil and water samples collected at LUST sites after July 1, 1999. The Environmental Protection Commission adopted rules to implement the law at their June 21, 1999 meeting. The rules were filed both emergency with implementation July 1, 1999, the effective date of the law, and for notice of public comment.

The rules were adopted emergency because of the immediate need to implement the new provision. The department is required to provide the information on the MTBE sampling to a legislative interim committee and report findings and recommendations to the 2000 Session of the Seventy-eighth General Assembly.

You may send written comments on the rules until Tuesday, August 3, 1999 to UST Supervisor, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 502 E. 9th St., Des Moines, IA 50319..

In order to assure reliable and accurate analytical results, the rules require MTBE analysis be conducted by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) using the GC/MS version of OA-1 , "Method for Determination of Volatile Petroleum Hydrocarbons (gasoline)," revision 7/27/93, or US Environmental Protection Agency Method 8260B, SW-846, "Test Methods for Evaluating Solid waste," Third Edition. Using gas chromatography by itself as the analytical method results in false positives or negatives to be reported due to interference.

Any laboratory used for analysis of MTBE must have UST laboratory certification in Iowa. The certified laboratory is not required to have analyte certification for MTBE at this time. The requirements in the rule must be followed.

If you have any questions concerning this memo or on the attached rule proposal, please contact Elaine Douskey at (515)281-8011 or elaine.douskey@dnr.state.ia.us.

567--135.19 (455B) Analyzing for methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) in soil and groundwater samples.