[CPEO-MEF] PERCHLORATE: No national drinking water regulation

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

U.S. EPA News Release
October 3, 2008

EPA Seeks Comment on Preliminary Perchlorate Drinking Water Decision - 
Agency Plans to Issue a Perchlorate Health Advisory


(Washington, D.C. – Oct. 3, 2008) The U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency conducted extensive review of scientific data related to the 
health effects of exposure to perchlorate from drinking water and other 
sources and found that in more than 99 percent of public drinking water 
systems, perchlorate was not at levels of public health concern. 
Therefore, based on the Safe Water Drinking Act criteria, the agency 
determined there is not a "meaningful opportunity for health risk 
reduction" through a national drinking water regulation.

The agency is seeking comment on its preliminary determination not to 
regulate perchlorate in drinking water at a national level. EPA will 
make a final determination for perchlorate after considering information 
provided in the 30-day public comment period.

While fewer than one percent of the drinking water sources have 
perchlorate levels above the health reference level, EPA is committed to 
working with states and localities to ensure public health is protected. 
States have the right to establish and enforce drinking water standards 
and EPA encourages state-specific situations to be addressed at the 
local level. EPA intends to issue a health advisory at the time it 
issues its final regulatory determination for perchlorate, to assist 
states with their local response.

A regulatory determination is a formal decision by EPA as to whether it 
should initiate development of a national primary drinking water 
regulation for a specific contaminant under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 
EPA has drinking water regulations for more than 90 contaminants. Every 
five years, EPA develops a Contaminant Candidate List of contaminants to 
consider for regulation and then makes regulatory determinations on some 
of the contaminants based on scientific information on health effects, 
occurrence in drinking water and the opportunity for risk reduction.

A health advisory provides technical guidance to federal, state, and 
other public health officials on health effects, analytical methods and 
treatment technologies associated with drinking water contamination. 
Health advisories also contain guidance values that are concentrations 
of a contaminant in drinking water that are likely to be without adverse 
health effects.

###

For the original release, see
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/6a04819f9cc11717852574d7005f93f6?OpenDocument

See also
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hkmR-wSU9LKmVT3Iduv0DS9XPTbAD93J8US80
and
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/03/AR2008100303280.html?hpid=moreheadlines
--


Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
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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