Great rightist spin. Now, for the facts...Note in particular the fact that scientists agree that the previous standard was too high. Simply delay tactics by Bush; trade lives for some economic time.
WASHINGTON -- The Environmental Protection Agency wants to withdraw Clinton administration-approved rules to lower the limit for arsenic in drinking water until more study is done.
"While scientists agree that the previous standard of 50 parts per billion should be lowered, there is no consensus on a particular safe level," EPA Administrator Christie Whitman said in a statement issued Tuesday.
The new standard, proposed by former EPA Administrator Carol Browner in the waning days of the Clinton administration, would have reduced the acceptable level of arsenic in drinking water from 50 parts to 10 parts per billion. It also would have required 3,000 communities to upgrade their water systems to meet those levels.
The standard was to go into effect in five to nine years, Whitman said.
"I want to be sure that the conclusions about arsenic in the rule are supported by the best possible science," Whitman said.
She said the EPA will make a final decision on the rule after a period of public comment. She is seeking a 60-day delay of the effective date of the change.
Arsenic linked to cancers
Arsenic is a toxic substance found naturally in the Earth's crust, but it can result from industrial processes such as semiconductor manufacturing and petroleum refining. It can also be found in substances such as wood preservatives, animal feed additives and herbicides, according to several EPA studies.
In 1999, the National Academy of Sciences found arsenic in drinking water causes bladder, lung and skin cancer, and might cause liver and kidney cancer.
The EPA had proposed setting arsenic limits at 5 parts per billion last year in response to a lawsuit by the Natural Resources Defense Council but then settled at 10 parts per billion.
NRDC said it will file another suit challenging Tuesday's decision.
"This outrageous act is just another example of how the polluters have taken over the government," said Erik D. Olson, an attorney for the environmental group, referring to the mining interests that are the source of some arsenic.
The Sierra Club also criticized the EPA action. "This move is the latest in several recent environmental attacks by Bush that put industry ahead of the American public," said Carl Pope, the club's executive director.
Whitman said an independent review "will clear up uncertainties that have been raised" about the new standard.
She said some cities and states "have raised serious questions about whether the costs of the rule were fully understood when the rule was signed."
"The EPA's statement that further public comment is required ignores 25 years of public comment, debate and missed statutory deadlines," the Sierra Club said in a written statement.
It said the current standard, adopted in 1975 based on 1942 data, was supposed to be an interim measure that was to be replaced as soon as better information was available.
"While some arsenic occurs naturally, the mining industry's operations widely pollute our drinking water with arsenic and other toxic metals," said Ed Hopkins, director of Sierra Club's environmental quality program.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-New York, also blasted the decision, saying it "threatens the health of America's children."
The EPA says most of the unsafe levels have been detected in Southwestern states. Whitman will attend the Western Governor's Association meeting in Denver this week to discuss arsenic levels. |
