EPA Proposes Drinking Water Standard for Perchlorate

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced it would set standards for perchlorate, a toxic component of rocket fuel that has been found in the drinking water of millions of people. The agency acknowledged it was regulating the toxic chemical only because it was ordered to do so in 2023 by a federal court in a case brought by NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council).

Perchlorate exposure is associated with brain damage in fetuses and infants. Because the EPA does not currently require water systems to test for the chemical, millions of people are likely being unknowingly exposed to the chemical through their tap water.   

The following are reactions from attorneys at NRDC:

“Members of the public deserve to know whether there’s rocket fuel in their tap water. We’re pleased to see that, however reluctantly, the EPA is moving one step closer to providing the public with that information,” said Sarah Fort, a senior attorney with NRDC.

“The science is clear that the public needs to be protected from toxic perchlorate in tap water. The EPA’s weak proposal puts at risk the health of millions of people across the country, especially fetuses and young infants who are particularly vulnerable to this toxic chemical,” said Erik D. Olson, NRDC’s senior strategic director for health.

Olson noted the 20 parts per billion (ppb) standard proposed by the EPA was “weak.” The maximum level under the proposed rule is less protective than standards set by many states; the proposed federal standard is 10 times higher than the standard set by the state of Massachusetts and more than three times higher than the standard set by California. It’s also 20 times higher than the 1 ppb level of concern that the EPA initially identified years ago and that California state scientists have more recently proposed as needed to protect health. 

Resources:

• NRDC to EPA: Get the Rocket Fuel Our of Our Water Already!

• NRDC v. U.S. EPA (Perchlorate)

• Court Rules EPA Must Regulate Perchlorate (May 2023)

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).