AMMAN - The long-awaited decision to switch from regular to unleaded fuel finally went into effect on Friday, as the Jordan Petroleum Refinery Company (JPRC) announced it has stopped providing fuel stations with leaded petrol.
But a leading environmentalist said although the move was basically correct, it went off course, citing a "dangerous" component in the available types of unleaded petrol.
Head of the Gas Stations and Gas Cylinders Agencies Owners Association Hatem Orabi on Saturday said: "Fuel stations which sold out their reserves of leaded petrol began to receive the new two types of petrol: 90 and 95 octane."
"It is expected that within 15 days, leaded fuel will be completely phased out," the association leader said.
The government announced on Thursday that gas stations have two weeks to sell out their stocks of leaded fuel. Each litre of 95 octane unleaded fuel is now selling at 660 fils, while each litre of the 90 octane type is sold at 575 fils.
The shift was decided by the Cabinet in mid-2006, setting 2008 as the deadline. Since then, concerned authorities have been trying to make sure all required measures are taken. These requirements include, for example, the availability of suitable fuel tankers to store these types of petrol. Authorities also checked on the refinery's capability to supply the country with enough unleaded petrol.
Jordan Institution for Standards and Metrology (JISM) Director General Yassin Khayyat said the institution issued in 2006 a decision stipulating that by January 2007 all new and second-hand imported vehicles to the country must be fitted with a catalytic converter in order to use the unleaded gasoline.
When referred to the Cabinet, it was recommended that the decision be postponed until the country completely adopts unleaded fuel and ensures that all fuel stations provide the new gasoline.
"Now that the decision has gone into effect, JISM sent a letter to all concerned authorities such as the Jordan Customs Department and the Public Security Department, notifying them to check that all imported vehicles are fitted with the device," Khayyat told The Jordan Times on Saturday.
He added that as of this month, only vehicles provided with a catalytic converter will be allowed to be sold in the country.
A catalytic converter is a device used to reduce the toxicity of emissions from an internal combustion engine. A catalytic converter provides an environment for a chemical reaction wherein toxic combustion by-products are converted to less-toxic substances, according to web sources.
The shift comes basically in response to health concerns. Short-term exposure to high levels of lead can result in brain and kidney damage, while chronic exposure can affect the central nervous systems, blood pressure, kidneys and the body's ability to metabolise vitamin D, according to Ministry of Environment officials in recent statements.
Lead exposure is most serious for young children, because they absorb lead more easily than adults and are more susceptible to its harmful effects.
However, environmentalists did not welcome the development, explaining that the new alternative of lead is just as dangerous, if not worse.
Jordan Environment Society (JES) Executive Director Ahmad Kofahi said the step towards replacing lead with another element was, in theory, a step in the right direction.
However, he said, using the methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is a decision enfolded with risks.
MTBE is a chemical, volatile, flammable and colourless liquid that is relatively soluble in water. It is almost exclusively used as a fuel component in motor gasoline and one of a group of chemicals commonly known as oxygenates because they raise the oxygen content of gasoline, according to web sources.
Kofahi said the substance is highly dangerous to health and environment, particularly if it leaks into the soil and underground water.
"The authorities should have used ethanol instead. It is a safe alternative but the government has not used it because it is more costly and would automatically raise fuel prices," Kofahi told The Jordan Times yesterday.
He also expressed concerns that the fuel tankers at the stations are not ready to store such a highly dangerous material.
But Orabi said the wells are insulated with a double-wall and are ready to store unleaded fuel.
Until late January, only 50 of the 395 gas stations across the country provided unleaded gasoline, while Friday alone the JPRC distributed 1,554 tonnes of the two types of unleaded fuel to the country's fuel stations, JPRC's spokesperson Adnan Bakhit said yesterday.
By Hana Namrouqa
© Jordan Times 2008
