MBTE is methyl tertiary butyated ether, a gasoline additive. Are you talking ethanol?
No, it was an oil industry substitute for ethanol because they didn't want ADM et al to get the whole pie. They knew it would leak through plastic gas tanks and contaminate groundwater so they goaded GHWB into demanding that Congress specifically indemnify manufacturers of gasoline oxygenates. Read the second link I gave you as this case is mentioned specifically.