Remember how Republicans in the House last year (and Chet Edwards, who voted with them) were pit against Democrats who wanted liability standards for MTBE manufacturers? This was when Tom DeLay was around and he was set on making sure that MTBE mfg couldn't be sued, including Lyondell Chemical in what *was* (and thankfully is not any more) his district near Sugarland. The Senate rejected these tactics and the language of protection from lawsuit.

Anyway, here's an example of a community concerned about the presence of MTBE in water wells.

State officials say the federal government has not established health guidelines for M-T-B-E or its breakdown forms. But some studies have suggested that inhaling it could lead to some cancers.

By shutting down the well, the city may have prevented the well from drawing in other contaminants that often follow detects of M-T-B-E.