ADVOCATES WANT STRICTER PERCHLORATE WATER STANDARDS.Byline: HARRISON SHEPPARD Sacramento Bureau SACRAMENTO -- Public health advocates pressured state health officials Monday to tighten proposed standards for perchlorate perchlorate: see chlorate. in drinking water drinking water supply of water available to animals for drinking supplied via nipples, in troughs, dams, ponds and larger natural water sources; an insufficient supply leads to dehydration; it can be the source of infection, e.g. leptospirosis, salmonellosis, or of poisoning, e.g. , arguing that the current plan would fail to adequately protect public health. The state Department of Health Services Department of Health Services may refer to:
contaminant something that causes contamination. in drinking water at a level that protects public health, while being technically and economically feasible to achieve. State officials are considering a proposed level of 6 parts per billion, but some environmental and health groups said the level should be 1 or 2 parts per billion to ensure protection of the health of infants and others who are vulnerable to the effects of perchlorate contamination. ``This is a man-made problem,'' Andria Ventura, representing Clean Water Action, said during a public hearing. ``It should not be in our drinking water.'' She said the technology to detect and clean up perchlorate contamination has been improving, and a standard of 1 ppb is ``morally appropriate'' to protect the health of Californians. The 6 ppb level, she added, would lead to less responsibility to clean up contaminated contaminated, v 1. made radioactive by the addition of small quantities of radioactive material. 2. made contaminated by adding infective or radiographic materials. 3. an infective surface or object. sites than under current law. Environmental groups also noted that Massachusetts has adopted a 2 ppb standard. Perchlorate is a chemical contaminant found in rocket fuel, fireworks fireworks: see pyrotechnics. fireworks Explosives or combustibles used for display. Of ancient Chinese origin, fireworks evidently developed out of military rockets and explosive missiles and accompanied the spread of military explosives westward to and explosives that health experts say at higher levels can interfere with growth in children and mental function in adults. The state began monitoring for perchlorate in 1997, but has not yet set a maximum allowable level for drinking water. The chemical has been found in some 450 sources in 110 public water systems, primarily in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Sacramento counties. It has also been found in the Colorado River, which provides drinking and irrigation irrigation, in agriculture, artificial watering of the land. Although used chiefly in regions with annual rainfall of less than 20 in. (51 cm), it is also used in wetter areas to grow certain crops, e.g., rice. water to Southern California. Among the known contaminated sites are the Santa Susana Field Laboratory near Simi Valley and the Whittaker-Bermite site in Santa Clarita. harrison.sheppard(at)dailynews.com (916) 446-6723 VOICE YOUR CONCERNS The California Department of Health Services will accept public comment until 5 p.m. Friday on its proposed perchlorate regulation. Write to the Office of Regulations, Department of Health Services, MS 0015, 1501 Capitol Ave., P.O. Box 997413, Sacramento 95899-7413; fax to (916) 440-7714; e-mail regulation(at)dhs.ca.gov; or use the online form at www.applications.dhs.ca.gov/regulations. Refer to Regulation No. R-16-04. CAPTION(S): box Box: VOICE YOUR CONCERNS (see text) |
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