Bill Targets Endocrine Disrupters In Water

Reps. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.) introduced a bill in the House of Representatives on May 5 that would require EPA to update its Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP). The Endocrine Disruptor Screening Enhancement Act of 2010 (H.R. 5210) would require EPA to test at least 100 nonpesticide chemicals in drinking water within four years for their ability to alter hormone systems. The legislation would also require EPA to develop guidelines within two years for updating EDSP testing protocols. Congress ordered EPA to develop EDSP in 1996, but the program didn’t get off the ground until this past fall (C&EN, Oct. 26, 2009, page 7). EDSP is currently testing 67 pesticide chemicals using assays that are considered outdated by many experts. “This bill will mandate the screening of chemicals found in our drinking water, and update the testing requirements to create a more transparent program that relies on the most up-to-date science,” Markey wrote in a statement.