[CPEO-MEF] PERCHLORATE: GAO faults standard-setting process during Bush Administration

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

[The findings in this important report are not news to those of us  
who have been fighting for protective regulation of perchlorate, but  
it's always heartwarming to see the truth in official print. = LS]


Report raises questions about EPA's 2008 perchlorate decision

Bettina Boxall
Los Angeles Times
July 12, 2011
The Bush White House played a role in the U.S. Environmental  
Protection Agency's controversial 2008 decision not to regulate the  
drinking water contaminant perchlorate, according to a congressional  
watchdog agency.

In a report released Tuesday, the U.S. Government Accountability  
Office concludes that the EPA deviated from its customary scientific  
analysis in reaching the decision and says that "according to key EPA  
scientists, the agency mischaracterized important scientific findings  
on the sensitivity of various age groups to perchlorate exposure."

The nonpartisan GAO found that the Office of Management and Budget,  
which reports directly to the president, edited the 2008  
determination. "Overall, the changes EPA made in response to OMB’s  
extensive comments through the external review process downplayed the  
health risks of exposure to perchlorate and presented EPA’s  
conclusions with greater certainty than key EPA scientists stated  
they were comfortable supporting," the report states.


...

For the entire article, see
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2011/07/perchlorate- 
drinking-water-epa.html

To see the summary of the GAO report and download the full report, go to
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-803T

--

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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