[CPEO-MEF] PERCHORLATE: EPA to set drinking water standard

[Lenny Siegel <lennysiegel@gmail.com>]

U.S. EPA
News Release
February 2, 2011

EPA To Develop Regulation for Perchlorate and Toxic Chemicals in
Drinking Water



WASHINGTON - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P.
Jackson today announced the agency's decision to move forward with the
development of a regulation for perchlorate to protect Americans from
any potential health impacts, while also continuing to take steps to
ensure the quality of the water they drink. The decision to undertake a
first-ever national standard for perchlorate reverses a decision made by
the previous administration and comes after Administrator Jackson
ordered EPA scientists to undertake a thorough review of the emerging
science of perchlorate. Perchlorate is both a naturally occurring and
man-made chemical, and scientific research indicates that it may impact
the normal function of the thyroid, which produces important
developmental hormones. Thyroid hormones are critical to the normal
development and growth of fetuses, infants and children. Based on this
potential concern, EPA will move forward with proposing a formal rule.
This process will include receiving input from key stakeholders as well
as submitting any formal rule to a public comment process.

...

Scientific research indicates that perchlorate may disrupt the thyroid's
ability to produce hormones that are critical to developing fetuses and
infants. Monitoring data show more than 4 percent of public water
systems have detected perchlorate and between 5 million and 17 million
people may be served drinking water containing perchlorate. The science
that has led to this decision has been peer reviewed by independent
scientists and public health experts including the National Academy of
Sciences. Perchlorate is both a naturally-occurring and man-made
chemical that is used in the manufacture of rocket fuel, fireworks,
flares and explosives, and may be present in bleach and in some
fertilizers. This decision reverses a 2008 preliminary determination by
the previous administration, and considers input from almost 39,000
public comments.

...

For the entire release, see
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/6348845793f4cc5d8525782b004d81ae!OpenDocument

--


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



_______________________________________________
Military mailing list
Military@lists.cpeo.org
http://lists.cpeo.org/listinfo.cgi/military-cpeo.org