Three Members of Rouhani's Government Emphasize the Need for Complete Elimination of Petrochemical Gasoline

Three members of Hassan Rouhani's cabinet, along with the head of Iran's National Standards Organization, emphasized in a letter to the Speaker of Parliament their "common position" regarding the complete elimination of "petrochemical gasoline" in the country. They highlighted that the "cancer-causing" substance benzene in the air of certain Iranian cities has been "one hundred to one thousand times" above standard levels in recent years. The full text of this letter was published by Khabar Online on Wednesday, December 5, which was signed on November 14 by the Minister of Oil, Minister of Health, head of the Environmental Protection Organization, and head of the National Standards Organization of Iran. The letter noted the "high concentration of benzene" in the air of Iranian cities over the past years, stating: "According to reports from the Environmental Protection Organization, it has been observed that the levels of this parameter are sometimes one hundred to one thousand times the environmental standards near fuel stations and high-traffic areas." The letter further stated: "The increase in petrochemical products under the titles of reformate, benzene, pyrolysis, and octane boosters in recent years, especially from 2010 to 2013, has exacerbated the situation." According to the authors of this letter, the fuel consumed in vehicles contains special compounds that, if standards are not adhered to, release multiple carcinogenic and toxic substances such as benzene, heavy metals, and aromatic compounds into the air. The Environmental Protection Organization had previously reported to the Iranian Parliament that the high levels of pollutants in petrochemical gasoline, such as benzene, are carcinogenic. Benzene is a hazardous substance in gasoline used to increase the octane number. The three government members and the head of the standards organization emphasized in their letter that the production and distribution of "low-quality fuel, especially the production and distribution of petrochemical octane boosters" in 2010 led to "an increase in the number of unhealthy days and a rise in respiratory diseases attributed to air pollution." Until 2009, Iran sourced 40% of its gasoline from abroad, but due to Western sanctions on gasoline, it had to compensate for the lack of refinery capacity by producing this fuel in petrochemical complexes and adding lead or dangerous chemical catalysts such as "MTBE." "MTBE" is a toxic and highly carcinogenic substance, and its use in gasoline production is banned worldwide. The distribution of petrochemical gasoline has been halted since the early months of Hassan Rouhani's government. The three government members and the head of the standards organization, referring to a cabinet resolution titled "Measures to Reduce Air Pollution" on May 10 and the government's decision to distribute fuel according to Euro 4 standards, stated: "In this standard, the benzene content is one percent, the aromatic compounds are 35 percent, and the olefins are 18 percent." According to the authors of this letter, a comparison of the first six months of this year with 2013 shows that the number of clean days increased from two to six days, the number of healthy days increased from 128 to 139 days, and the number of unhealthy days decreased from 56 to 41 days. The three government members and the head of the standards organization, while announcing their "common position" regarding the complete elimination of petrochemical gasoline, emphasized that the provision of gasoline with acceptable and standard quality would have a "positive impact" in preventing the "decline" of public health and hygiene levels in society. The publication of this letter comes as several members of the Iranian Parliament, including Masoud Mir-Kazemi, a member of the Energy Commission and former oil minister during Ahmadinejad's administration, have sharply criticized the quality of imported gasoline in the new government. On Tuesday, December 3, Mir-Kazemi stated: "The imported gasolines until July not only did not meet Euro 4 standards but also did not meet Euro 2 standards." These statements come amid accusations against Mir-Kazemi by three lawyers for actions "against public health and safety." Mustafa Tork Hamdani, Peyman Haj Mahmoud Attar, and Alireza Daghighi filed a complaint against Mir-Kazemi on June 1 for producing "polluted" gasoline during his tenure. Mir-Kazemi, in turn, has filed a complaint against these three lawyers for spreading falsehoods and creating public anxiety. In this context, the former oil minister has been summoned to the prosecutor's office regarding the "polluted gasoline" case. The number of cancer patients in Iran increases by "one hundred thousand" each year.