[CPEO-MEF] Environment California on perchlorate

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Yesterday, January 11, 2005, Environment California sent the following
statement to the California legislature in response the NAS perchlorate
report. For a the press release announcing Environment California's
January 10, 2005 report, "Perchlorate and Children's Health: The Case
for a Strong Cleanup Standard for Rocket Fuel in Drinking Water" or a
downloadable copy of the entire report, go to
http://www.environmentcalifornia.org.

***

Statement of Sujatha Jahagirdar, Clean Water Advocate in Response to the
perchlorate recommendation of the National Academy of Sciences

Yesterday Environment California Research & Policy Center released a
report that urged state regulators to move away from a weak standard for
perchlorate in drinking water at six parts per billion (6 ppb).  The
report, which reviewed the health effects of perchlorate on children's
health, recommended that the state set a perchlorate standard at one
part per billion (1 ppb) in order to fully protect California's most
vulnerable citizens - unborn babies and infants.  

Yesterday, the National Academy of Sciences also issued a report on the
health impacts of perchlorate that can be used by state regulators to
strengthen the state's cleanup threshold for perchlorate and move toward
our recommended one part per billion standard. (a)

When translating the National Academy recommendations into a state
perchlorate standard, state regulators are required by law to consider
two additional factors.(b) The need for the state to consider these
factors was described by the National Academy of Sciences itself in a
press conference today at 2:00 pm (EST)

1)   California must consider additional potential sources of
perchlorate beyond drinking water, including food and milk.(c)

2)   California must also protect the health of the most vulnerable
populations in California,  including newborn infants.(d)

After considering these factors, the NAS recommendation should lead
state regulators to a final drinking water standard significantly
stronger than the 6 ppb initially recommended by the state.  

California's children are the future of our society. They need
protection from threats to their health and well being in order to have
the greatest possible opportunity to grow into their full potential.
Environment California Research & Policy Center urges state regulators
to seize this opportunity and issue a final drinking water standard for
perchlorate that fully protects the health of the most vulnerable
Californians - unborn babies and newborn infants. 

a. Contrary to the implications of many media reports, the National
Academy of Sciences DID NOT recommend a drinking water standard for
perchlorate over 20 ppb.  In answering a question from a reporter on how
states might be affected if they went ahead with their own standard
which was substantially less than the approximate 23 parts per billion
standard, at today's press conference, the NAS replied:  "I'm not sure
where the 23 parts per billion comes from in that particular question.
There's a factor of 23 one might think about that comes from what our
potential reference dose would be and what EPA had released in their
2002 recommendation. There's a factor of 23 between where EPA was and
where this committee ended up. That's not the same as a drinking water
level of 23 parts per billion." 

b. *California Code of Regulations, Health and Safety Code section
116365, part C.

c. NAS statement regarding need for state policy makers to consider
additional sources in setting standard for perchlorate in drinking water
itself.   "The committee recognizes that its recommendations would lead
to a reference dose of 0.0007 milligram per kilogram per day. Now that's
a dose. That's not a content in water. That's a total amount, whatever
the source is ? food, milk, water ? that we felt would be a safe limit,
a safe and health protective limit."

d. NAS statement regarding need for state policy makers to factor in
weights of infants when determining drinking water standard.  "We
stopped at a dosage ? what we felt would be a safe limit to the amount,
whatever the source of perchlorate, that an individual might take in.
This 0.0007 mg per kg ? adjusted for body weight ?? so if it's a 3
kilogram baby, you adjust it down. If it's an 80 kilogram adult, you
adjust it up. It's based on a per kilogram. We did not make the
extension into a water level. Water level is a matter of policy."

  

-- 


Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org
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