EPA won't limit toxic pollutant in drinking water

[Guest guest]

Perchlorate is another iodine inhibitor. I swear they are going to "protect" us to our death.

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20080923/D93C4TN83.html

EPA won't limit toxic pollutant in drinking water

Sep 22, 10:01 PM (ET)By ERICA WERNER

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Environmental Protection Agency has decided there's no need to rid drinking water of a toxic rocket fuel ingredient that has fouled public water supplies around the country. EPA reached the conclusion in a draft regulatory document not yet made public but reviewed Monday by The Associated Press. The ingredient, perchlorate, has been found in at least 395 sites in 35 states at levels high enough to interfere with thyroid function and pose developmental health risks, particularly for babies and fetuses, according to some scientists. The EPA document says that mandating a clean-up level for perchlorate would not result in a "meaningful opportunity for health risk reduction for persons served by public-water systems."

The conclusion, which caps years of dispute over the issue, was denounced by Democrats and environmentalists who accused EPA of caving to pressure from the Pentagon. "This is a widespread contamination problem, and to see the Bush EPA just walk away is shocking," said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., who chairs the Senate's environment committee. Lenny Siegel, director of the Center for Public Environmental Oversight in Mountain View, Calif., added: "This is an unconscionable decision not based upon science or law but on concern that a more stringent standard could cost the government significantly." The Defense Department used perchlorate for decades in testing missiles and rockets, and most perchlorate contamination is the result of defense and aerospace activities, congressional investigators said last year. The Pentagon could face liability if EPA set a national drinking water standard that forced water agencies around the country to undertake costly clean-up efforts. Defense officials have spent years questioning EPA's conclusions about the risks posed by perchlorate. The Pentagon objected strongly Monday to the suggestion that it sought to influence EPA's decision. "We have not intervened in any way in EPA's determination not to regulate perchlorate. If you read their determination, that's based on criteria in the Safe Drinking Water Act," Yaroschak, Pentagon deputy director for emerging contaminants, said in an interview. Yaroschak said the Pentagon has been working for years to clean up perchlorate at its facilities. He also contended that the Pentagon wasn't the source of as much perchlorate contamination as once believed, noting that it also comes from fireworks, road flares and fertilizer. Grumbles, EPA's assistant administrator for water, said in a statement that "science, not the politics of fear in an election year, will drive our final decision." "We know perchlorate in drinking water presents some degree of risk, and we're committed to working with states and scientists to ensure public health is protected and meaningful opportunities for reducing risk are fully considered," Grumbles said. Grumbles said the EPA expected to seek comment and take final action before the end of the year. The draft document was first reported Monday by the Washington Post. Perchlorate is particularly widespread in California and the Southwest, where it's been found in groundwater and in the Colorado River, a drinking-water source for 20 million people. It's also been found in lettuce and other foods. In absence of federal action, states have acted on their own. In 2007, California adopted a drinking water standard of 6 parts per billion. Massachusetts has set a drinking water standard of 2 parts per billion.

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the info! I went to college on a campus that sits right in

the middle of Spring Valley in Washington, DC where WWI ammunitions

are buried. I found out two days ago that I am hashi's, after two

years of dealing with hypoT without anyone bothering to find out if I

have antibodies. I have no history on either side of my family of

hypothyroidism. So it's very mysterious that I would develop this as

soon as I graduated from college. Maybe rocket fuel has something to

with it.

>

> Perchlorate is another iodine inhibitor. I swear they are going to

" protect " us to our death.

>

>

>

> http://apnews.excite.com/article/20080923/D93C4TN83.html

>

>

> EPA won't limit toxic pollutant in drinking water

>

>

>

> Sep 22, 10:01 PM (ET)

>

> By ERICA WERNER

>

> WASHINGTON (AP) - The Environmental Protection Agency has decided

there's no need to rid drinking water of a toxic rocket fuel

ingredient that has fouled public water supplies around the country.

>

> EPA reached the conclusion in a draft regulatory document not yet

made public but reviewed Monday by The Associated Press.

>

> The ingredient, perchlorate, has been found in at least 395 sites in

35 states at levels high enough to interfere with thyroid function and

pose developmental health risks, particularly for babies and fetuses,

according to some scientists.

>

> The EPA document says that mandating a clean-up level for

perchlorate would not result in a " meaningful opportunity for health

risk reduction for persons served by public-water systems. "

>

>

> The conclusion, which caps years of dispute over the issue, was

denounced by Democrats and environmentalists who accused EPA of caving

to pressure from the Pentagon.

>

> " This is a widespread contamination problem, and to see the Bush EPA

just walk away is shocking, " said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., who

chairs the Senate's environment committee.

>

> Lenny Siegel, director of the Center for Public Environmental

Oversight in Mountain View, Calif., added: " This is an unconscionable

decision not based upon science or law but on concern that a more

stringent standard could cost the government significantly. "

>

> The Defense Department used perchlorate for decades in testing

missiles and rockets, and most perchlorate contamination is the result

of defense and aerospace activities, congressional investigators said

last year.

>

> The Pentagon could face liability if EPA set a national drinking

water standard that forced water agencies around the country to

undertake costly clean-up efforts. Defense officials have spent years

questioning EPA's conclusions about the risks posed by perchlorate.

>

> The Pentagon objected strongly Monday to the suggestion that it

sought to influence EPA's decision.

>

> " We have not intervened in any way in EPA's determination not to

regulate perchlorate. If you read their determination, that's based on

criteria in the Safe Drinking Water Act, " Yaroschak, Pentagon

deputy director for emerging contaminants, said in an interview.

>

> Yaroschak said the Pentagon has been working for years to clean up

perchlorate at its facilities. He also contended that the Pentagon

wasn't the source of as much perchlorate contamination as once

believed, noting that it also comes from fireworks, road flares and

fertilizer.

>

> Grumbles, EPA's assistant administrator for water, said in

a statement that " science, not the politics of fear in an election

year, will drive our final decision. "

>

> " We know perchlorate in drinking water presents some degree of risk,

and we're committed to working with states and scientists to ensure

public health is protected and meaningful opportunities for reducing

risk are fully considered, " Grumbles said.

>

> Grumbles said the EPA expected to seek comment and take final action

before the end of the year. The draft document was first reported

Monday by the Washington Post.

>

> Perchlorate is particularly widespread in California and the

Southwest, where it's been found in groundwater and in the Colorado

River, a drinking-water source for 20 million people. It's also been

found in lettuce and other foods.

>

> In absence of federal action, states have acted on their own. In

2007, California adopted a drinking water standard of 6 parts per

billion. Massachusetts has set a drinking water standard of 2 parts

per billion.

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/24/2008 6:16:08 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, capn_popetastic@... writes:

>>Spring Valley in Washington, DC

Just curious...was that American University? My son is in grad school there.

BarbFLooking for simple solutions to your real-life financial challenges? Check out WalletPop for the latest news and information, tips and calculators.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/24/2008 2:47:38 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, capn_popetastic@... writes:

>>Make sure he keeps up his iodine intake.

Will do.

thanks.

BarbFLooking for simple solutions to your real-life financial challenges? Check out WalletPop for the latest news and information, tips and calculators.

[Guest guest]

Yes, it was. I find it amazing that I could be perfectly healthy with

no family history of thyroid problems and get hashi's as a graduation

present. Make sure he keeps up his iodine intake.

>

>

> In a message dated 9/24/2008 6:16:08 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

> capn_popetastic@... writes:

>

> >>Spring Valley in Washington, DC

>

>

> Just curious...was that American University? My son is in grad

school there.

> BarbF

>

>

>

> **************Looking for simple solutions to your real-life financial

> challenges? Check out WalletPop for the latest news and

information, tips and

> calculators. (http://www.walletpop.com/?NCID=emlcntuswall00000001)

>

[Guest guest]

Actually in this case they are " NOT protecting " us to death.

The folks that dumped the perchlorate that contaminated

the aquifer weren't doing it to protect the water ... allowing

it in the public water pipes without purification is just

plain lack of oversight. I don't recommend drinking tap

water in any case -- there have been a lot of problems found

in it, plus floride and chlorine -- but this sort of problem hurts

those that can't

afford to buy bottled water. Course if you buy bottled water

you have the issue of the plastic bottle ...

I saw a demo of a really interesting water purifier that

one can use at home, which takes out all the contaminants.

It works as a sort of sonic distiller. I don't think it's on

the market yet, but when it is I'd love to get one (I don't

recall the name of it, but when I find out I'll let y'all know).

On Tue, Sep 23, 2008 at 6:58 PM, ladybugsandbees

<ladybugsandbees@...> wrote:

> Perchlorate is another iodine inhibitor. I swear they are going to

> " protect " us to our death.

>

>

>

> http://apnews.excite.com/article/20080923/D93C4TN83.html

>

>

> EPA won't limit toxic pollutant in drinking water

>

> Sep 22, 10:01 PM (ET)

>

> By ERICA WERNER

>

> WASHINGTON (AP) - The Environmental Protection Agency has decided there's no

> need to rid drinking water of a toxic rocket fuel ingredient that has fouled

> public water supplies around the country.

>

> EPA reached the conclusion in a draft regulatory document not yet made

> public but reviewed Monday by The Associated Press.

>

> The ingredient, perchlorate, has been found in at least 395 sites in 35

> states at levels high enough to interfere with thyroid function and pose

> developmental health risks, particularly for babies and fetuses, according

> to some scientists.

>

> The EPA document says that mandating a clean-up level for perchlorate would

> not result in a " meaningful opportunity for health risk reduction for

> persons served by public-water systems. "

>

> The conclusion, which caps years of dispute over the issue, was denounced by

> Democrats and environmentalists who accused EPA of caving to pressure from

> the Pentagon.

>

> " This is a widespread contamination problem, and to see the Bush EPA just

> walk away is shocking, " said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., who chairs the

> Senate's environment committee.

>

> Lenny Siegel, director of the Center for Public Environmental Oversight in

> Mountain View, Calif., added: " This is an unconscionable decision not based

> upon science or law but on concern that a more stringent standard could cost

> the government significantly. "

>

> The Defense Department used perchlorate for decades in testing missiles and

> rockets, and most perchlorate contamination is the result of defense and

> aerospace activities, congressional investigators said last year.

>

> The Pentagon could face liability if EPA set a national drinking water

> standard that forced water agencies around the country to undertake costly

> clean-up efforts. Defense officials have spent years questioning EPA's

> conclusions about the risks posed by perchlorate.

>

> The Pentagon objected strongly Monday to the suggestion that it sought to

> influence EPA's decision.

>

> " We have not intervened in any way in EPA's determination not to regulate

> perchlorate. If you read their determination, that's based on criteria in

> the Safe Drinking Water Act, " Yaroschak, Pentagon deputy director for

> emerging contaminants, said in an interview.

>

> Yaroschak said the Pentagon has been working for years to clean up

> perchlorate at its facilities. He also contended that the Pentagon wasn't

> the source of as much perchlorate contamination as once believed, noting

> that it also comes from fireworks, road flares and fertilizer.

>

> Grumbles, EPA's assistant administrator for water, said in a

> statement that " science, not the politics of fear in an election year, will

> drive our final decision. "

>

> " We know perchlorate in drinking water presents some degree of risk, and

> we're committed to working with states and scientists to ensure public

> health is protected and meaningful opportunities for reducing risk are fully

> considered, " Grumbles said.

>

> Grumbles said the EPA expected to seek comment and take final action before

> the end of the year. The draft document was first reported Monday by the

> Washington Post.

>

> Perchlorate is particularly widespread in California and the Southwest,

> where it's been found in groundwater and in the Colorado River, a

> drinking-water source for 20 million people. It's also been found in lettuce

> and other foods.

>

> In absence of federal action, states have acted on their own. In 2007,

> California adopted a drinking water standard of 6 parts per billion.

> Massachusetts has set a drinking water standard of 2 parts per billion.

>

>

--

[Guest guest]

I was being facetious. That's why I put " protect " because even then they do

act it generally doesn't do much good.

----- Original Message -----

From: "

[Guest guest]

Ach, sorry. My cynicism meter must not be operational today.

On Thu, Sep 25, 2008 at 10:06 AM, ladybugsandbees

<ladybugsandbees@...> wrote:

> I was being facetious. That's why I put " protect " because even then they do

> act it generally doesn't do much good.

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

It's hard to read tone in an e-mail.

Steph

----- Original Message -----

From: "