A new EWG study found carcinogenic levels of hexavalent chromium in the tap water of 31 metropolitan of the US.
The cities sampled were 35 and 31 out of them were found to be at unhealthy levels of the carcinogen. Those cities include the capital of the country, Washington DC.
Of those, other 31 cities 25 had levels that far exceeded the health safety levels proposed in California. California took the first step in limiting the amount of hexavalent chromium in drinking water by proposing a “public health goal” for safe levels of 0.06 parts per billion. If California does set this limit, it would be the first in the nation.
Hexavalent chromium is a commonly used industrial chemical, hugely prevalent until the 1990s. It is still used massively in some industries, such as auto manufacturing, in chrome plating and the manufacturing of plastics and dyes. The chemical can also leach into groundwater from natural ores. It is the Erin Brockovich carcinogen, made infamous since it’s public debut in a film circa 2000.
“This chemical has been so widely used by so many industries across the U.S. that this doesn’t surprise me,” said Erin Brockovich, whose fight on behalf of the residents of Hinkley, Calif., against Pacific Gas & Electric became the subject of a 2000 film. In that case, PG&E was accused of leaking hexavalent chromium into the town’s groundwater for more than 30 years. The company paid $333 million in damages to more than 600 townspeople and pledged to clean up the contamination.
“Our municipal water supplies are in danger all over the U.S.,” Brockovich said. “This is a chemical that should be regulated.”
The EPA judges it’s response to this matter judiciously as it considers enforcing standards towards the water utilities across the United States…
In a seemingly unrelated response, the Obama administration announced landmark plans Thursday to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the Unites States. That is mainly the thrust against CO2…
A press release from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that new standards granted under the Clean Air Act will be implemented in 2012.
The EPA also announced that it is taking unprecedented action to issue air permits to industries in Texas, due to the state’s non-compliance with new regulations that are set to begin on January 2, 2011.
The EPA’s new plan will establish standards specifically for fossil fuel power plants and petroleum refineries, both of which combine to represent roughly 40 percent of GHG pollution in the United States.
From the EPA’s press release: ”We are following through on our commitment to proceed in a measured and careful way to reduce GHG pollution that threatens the health and welfare of Americans, and contributes to climate change,” Administrator Lisa Jackson said. “These standards will help American companies attract private investment to the clean energy upgrades that make our companies more competitive and create good jobs here at home.”
The EPA has recently undergone mounting pressure from lawsuits filed against them by several states, local governments and environmental organizations over their failure to update the pollution standards.
The agency plans on using a “common sense” approach, and assures that it will provide a clear path for the industries. As per Thursday’s announcement, the EPA will propose standards for power plants in July 2011 and refineries in December 2011. It will issue final standards in May 2012 and November 2012, respectively. This schedule will allow the agency to host listening sessions with the business community, states, and other stakeholders in the issue in early 2011, long before their policy-making begins. They hope that the feedback they receive at this time will lead to smart, cost-effective, and protective standards.
The Clean Air Act requires the EPA to set industry-specific standards for every new source that emits significant amounts of harmful pollutants. These standards are referred to as New Source Performance Standards (NSPS), They set the levels of pollution that new facilities are allowed to emit, and they also address the air pollution that is already being emitted from existing facilities. They are required to take into account cost, health, environmental impacts, and energy requirements. The EPA must also periodically update the standards they create in order to reflect any improvements in technology.
The new initiative will likely face antagonists, such as oil-producing Texas, which emits many more GHG than any other state. The EPA announced Thursday that it will be be taking the unprecedented action to directly issue greenhouse gas permits to the industries in Texas, due to the state of Texas unwillingness to comply with the new greenhouse gas Federal regulations.
New federal regulations that go into effect nation wide from January 2, 2011.
This truly is a step movement for the US management of CO2 greenhouse gas emissions.
Despite possible opponents, senior EPA official Gina McCarthy believes the move will “not only sustain jobs in the U.S. but grow new jobs.”
Yours,
Pano
PS:
Well said and well done.
However the lawmakers of the Republican Party, who will assume leadership of the House of Representatives next month are the most serious opponents of the EPA and it’s new found robust policies.
The Republican Party caused the death of the formerly proposed cap-and-trade bill due to their arguments that it would be too costly and some’s skepticism about the scientific evidence behind climate change.
Do they want some Hexavalent chromium with that champagne to toast their victory?
When are our Republican friends understand that climate change isn’t about political ideology but about reality and Science?
