MTBE was targetted for cold weather cities in the US who allegedly had cold weather smog problems caused by temperature inversions.

PROBLEM??? MTBE vapors condense in below freezing temperatures, and becomes something akin to breathing formaldehyde!

When it was first introduced (I say mandated) to Alaska back in the early 90's it was disasterous, and I think Fairbanks AK got rid of it by public coup. They then got Senator for Life, Ted "Mr. HAARP" Stevens to get the feds to issue a waiver for Faribanks and possibly other points far North.

MTBE is toxic and in cold weather makes healthy people sick,and sickly people go to the hospital or worse.

When locals up North pressed the EPA about why they did not test it in cold weather conditions they could not give an answer. Then when pressed on why they just did not do away with it altogether?? The bueracrat answered "then we wouldn't have a program to oversee anymore".

Oh yeah the oil companies like ARCO charge a bunch more for it because it "costs them to add it to their gas mix."