EPA refuses to regulate perchlorate in drinking water

Rocket fuel with your water?

Boston Globe Editorial

EARLIER this month, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced in a preliminary decision that it would not require drinking water systems to reduce contamination by perchlorate, a toxic ingredient of rocket fuel that has found its way into many water sources. In the 30-day public comment period before the decision becomes final, Congress should require the agency to explain its lack of concern about a substance that scientists say interferes with thyroid function and poses developmental health risks for babies and fetuses.

The agency has spent six years weighing action on perchlorate. The debate pits EPA scientists, who favor regulation, against officials of the Defense Department and the White House's Office of Management and Budget, who oppose it. While some perchlorate occurs naturally, most contamination in drinking water comes from military bases, rocket test sites, and chemical plants. Massachusetts set the strictest limit in the country on it in 2006 after it was found in wells on Cape Cod near military facilities there.

The Pentagon fears that it could be held liable if a demanding standard on the substance forced water systems all over the country to launch costly cleanup efforts. The EPA says perchlorate has contaminated soil, ground water or drinking water in 35 states, many in the Southwest.

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