Release
Date: 02/02/2011
Contact Information: Jalil Isa (News Media Only) (Prensa solamente),
isa.jalil@epa.gov, 202-564-3226, 202-564-4355
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.
In a separate action, the agency is also moving towards establishing a drinking
water standard to address a group of up to 16 toxic chemicals that may pose
risks to human health. As part of the Drinking Water Strategy laid out by
Administrator Jackson in 2010, EPA committed to addressing contaminants as a
group rather than one at a time so that enhancement of drinking water protection
can be achieved cost effectively. Today’s action delivers on the promise to
strengthen public health protection from contaminants in drinking water.
“Clean water is critical to the health and prosperity of every American
community and a fundamental concern to every American family. EPA is hard at
work on innovative ways to improve protections for the water we drink and give
to our children, and the development of these improved standards is an important
step forward,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Our decisions are based
on extensive review of the best available science and the health needs of the
American people.”
Action on Perchlorate:
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.
EPA will continue to evaluate the science on perchlorate health effects and
occurrence in public water systems. The agency will also now begin to evaluate
the feasibility and affordability of treatment technologies to remove
perchlorate and will examine the costs and benefits of potential standards.
More information on perchlorate:
http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/unregulated/perchlorate.cfm
Action on Drinking Water Strategy:
EPA will also be developing one regulation covering up to 16 chemicals
that may cause cancer. This group of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which
are chemicals such as industrial solvents, includes trichloroethylene (TCE) and
tetrachloroethylene (PCE) as well as other regulated and some unregulated
contaminants that are discharged from industrial operations. The VOC standard
will be developed as part of EPA’s new strategy for drinking water, announced by
the administrator in March 2010. A key principle of the strategy is to address
contaminants as groups rather than individually in order to provide public
health protections more quickly and also allow utilities to more effectively and
efficiently plan for improvements.
More information on drinking water strategy:
http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/rulesregs/sdwa/dwstrategy/index.cfm
Administrator Jackson’s 2010 Speech on EPA’s New Drinking Water Strategy:
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/bbd6b38fa4f29ace852576ee004a4dde!OpenDocument