Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced legislation with Senators Tom Carper (D-DE) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to help communities combat per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination and exposure in drinking water and groundwater. The Providing Financial Assistance to States (PFAS) for Testing and Treatment Act would provide substantial federal funding for PFAS remediation in drinking water, and groundwater, including private wells.
Tag: EWG
Is there less lead in our water now?
The 111th Congress has passed an amendment to the Safe Drinking Water Act which creates a federal limit of 0.25% for the maximum lead content of any plumbing component used for potable water intended for human consumption that is smaller than 2″ in diameter. I think that the intent of this bill is good, but it really doesn’t do more than make people feel good and cause a massive increase in the cost of delivered components, especially brass which is very difficult and costly to machine when the lead levels drop that low. Municipal distribution piping is a greater source of lead than the fixtures themselves, and should be addressed as a much higher priority. This bill will become effective in 2013, so expect an influx of high-lead components from China over the next year or two.
Salt Lake City’s water unsafe, according to EWG
I read this article in the Salt Lake Tribune this morning… The EWG is drawing attention to the presence of Hexavalent Chromium in water supplies nation-wide. Yes, this is an important issue, but one can’t react emotionally to information like this and we certainly don’t need more federal regulation. Since less than 1% of municipally supplied water is actually consumed by humans, why should the other 99% be treated to “drinking” water levels? It just doesn’t make sense!
Environmental Working Group Report on Utah’s Water
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently published a summary of public information about water quality in Utah. EWG is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded in(more…)