Note to gubernatorial candidates trying to gain points on incumbent Angus King. Stick to the Two Maines problem; the gasoline-additive conspiracy theory isn’t working.

Not that the conspiracy sounds bad. The Department of Environmental Protection, the theory goes, hid from lawmakers the fact that during the last legislative session a Christy’s gas station in North Windham detected MtBE in its monitoring well. This could have allowed the department to get what it wanted on bills related to MtBE, without legislators taking more drastic actions — such as getting Maine out of the program.

The evidence for the theory is the dog that didn’t bark. The DEP didn’t release an announcement about the MtBE, therefore it hid it. The hole — chasm would be more accurate — in the conspiracy is that DEP also didn’t make announcements on the 2,500 other inspections it conducted in the past year for potential or actual threats to groundwater. It become apparent April 28, after the session, that the problem in North Windham had filtered beyond the gas station’s monitoring well and into a monitoring well owned by Portland Water District, In early May, the department announced this event.

GOP candidate James Longley is leading the conspiracy charge, and is closely followed by Democrat Joe Ricci, who wants an investigation into the matter, as does fellow Democrat Bill Lemke. Given Gov. King’s apparent lead in the governor’s race, it is hard to blame the challengers for trying use this or just about any bit of bad news to catch up. And accusing a state agency of timing the release of information to its advantage is hardly far-fetched. It’s just that there is no evidence in this case.

Besides, there are more important questions about MtBE, which has been helpful in the region in lowering ozone levels. Gov. King this week intentionally put the state in a kind of federal limbo, telling EPA chief Carol Browner that despite a deadline to announce its intentions, Maine would not commit further use of MtBE until a statewide well-testing program had been completed. It’s a prudent move that gives the state more time to think about options.

One of the bills the DEP wanted and got last session, in fact, continues a task force examining whether the additive so easily finds its way into water that it is impossible to use safely. Finding a less water-soluable replacement that also has low volatility would be valuable. An alternative that is less toxic than both MtBE and the benzene it replaces in gasoline would be better still.

If the gubernatorial candidates really wanted to help the state and himself, finding a clean-burning alternative would be a great way to grab headlines.