ERROR 1
ERROR 1
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
Password and Confirm password must match.
If you have an ACS member number, please enter it here so we can link this account to your membership. (optional)
ERROR 2
ACS values your privacy. By submitting your information, you are gaining access to C&EN and subscribing to our weekly newsletter. We use the information you provide to make your reading experience better, and we will never sell your data to third party members.
EPA will propose federal restrictions for perchlorate allowed in drinking water by Oct. 31, 2018, according to a legal settlement reached last week. More than five years ago, EPA announced its intention to regulate the chemical in drinking water because of public health concern, but the agency has since missed deadlines under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Perchlorate is an oxidizer used in rocket fuel, explosives, and fireworks. The chemical has been found in public drinking water systems that serve some 16 million people in the U.S., according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), an environmental group that sued EPA for inaction. EPA has identified perchlorate as a contaminant in drinking water, and the National Research Council concluded that perchlorate contamination in drinking water could affect thyroid function. According to the settlement with NRDC, the agency will set a maximum contaminant level in drinking water and an enforceable national water regulation for perchlorate no later than Dec. 19, 2019. The regulations are likely to create cleanup liability obligations for the military, NASA, the Department of Energy, and defense contractors with operations that released perchlorate.
Join the conversation
Contact the reporter
Submit a Letter to the Editor for publication
Engage with us on Twitter