The Cadre -

15 September 1998

National news

15

Banned gas additive returning to Canadian tanks despite reported dangers

BY JEREMY NELSON

WINNIPEG (CUP)- A banned gasoline additive con- taining the neurotoxin manga- nese will soon be back in Ca- nadian gas tanks following.a multi-million dollar settlement between the Canadian gov- ernment and the American- based Ethyl! Corporation, manufacturer of the contro- versial additive MMT.

Canada originally banned MMT in 1996 amid fears the manganese contained in the octane enhancer could cause memory impairment, tremors and in extreme cases, psychosis similar to that caused by Parkinson's Disease.

Ethyl! responded to the

ban by using the North Ameri- can Free Trade Agreement to sue Canada, claiming the ban had damaged the company’s reputation and cost it in lost profits. The million-dollar suit drew international attention because it was the first time a corporation used a free-trade agreement to sue a national government.

Ethyl relied on chapter 11 of the NAFTA for the suit, a section which allows corpo- rations to sue a government for compensation if that gov- ernment passes a law that harms a corporation’s profits or reputation.

Aside from paying $13 million in damages to Ethyl in the settlement, the federal gov- ernment has also agreed to allow MMT back into the Ca- nadian market and to issue a statement saying that the addi- tive poses no health threat.

According to Depart- ment of Foreign Affairs and International Trade spokesman Dexter Bishop, Canada de- cided to settle the case be- cause it was the most prag-

“It was amove to nego- tiate a settlement to avoid a

protracted legal procedure and

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really to make sure that we could settle this case very quickly,” Bishop said.

“The longer you leavea case running, frankly, the more expensive it becomes.”

Ethyl could not be reached for comment. How- ever, a statement issued to the news media shortly after the settlement said the company was pleased by the result of the case.

As for whether or not the manganese in MMT is harmful to the health of Cana- dians, Bishop says thatthe jury is still out.

“Many people have been involved in the studies of manganese fuel additives and I presume many of those stud- ies will continue,” he said. “The government's opinion at this time is that there is no conclu- sive proof with regard to MMT’s effects on human health.”

Preliminary research conducted by neurotoxicologist Donna Mergler, of the Uni- versity of Quebec, suggests even low-level exposure to manganese can cause serious problems, especially in chil- dren and the elderly. Inastudy of 306 people in southwestern Quebec, Mergler correlated manganese blood levels with neurological problems.

Mergler believes the additive should be shelved un- til proper studies can be con- ducted.

“It is regrettable that over the last 20 years we have not done more research on either MMT or maganese,” she said. “Had we spent the $13 million that was given to the Ethyl Corporation on re- search we might have had more answers today.”

But Ethyl says MMT poses no risk to human health, pointing to a 1994 Health Canada risk assessment study of MMT and a 1998 study by

» > bbe dei nts a aS ' PAS ed oy

the Research Triangle Insti- tute in a prepared statement.

John Urquart, spokes- person for the Council of Ca- nadians, a 100,000 member public interest group, says Mergler’s findings are just one example that demonstrate the harmful effects of MMT have long been known.

“MMT is banned in California and through most of the eastern seaboard,” he said. “Eighty-five per cent of Ameri-

can gasoline is MMT free,” he said, adding most European countries have also banned the additive.

Urquart says he views the section in NAFTA under which the suit was lodged asa means for corporations to bull governments into rolling back protective legislation.

Asides from concerns about the health-effects of the manganese in MMT,

automakers also say MMT is bad for engine parts that con- trol vehicle emissions.

“We were very disap- inted that the government cktracked and removed the

ban on MMT,” said Greg Gibson, a spokesperson for General Motors of Canada. “MMT does increase smog- causing hydro carbon emis- sions and it does contribute to premature sparkplug failure.”

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