Jason Pesick SB Sun Writer
The California Department of Health Services proposed Monday limiting the maximum allowable level of perchlorate in drinking water to 6 parts per billion.
The limit was not surprising, but some environmentalists said it is still too high.
Perchlorate, which has contaminated drinking water in Rialto and some other cities in Southern California, is a chemical used in the production of explosives, such as rocket fuels and fireworks. Studies suggest it can interfere with the functioning of the thyroid gland, mental development and metabolism.
A public comment period will last until Nov. 3, and there will be a public hearing in Sacramento on Oct. 30. If the department does not make any changes to the proposal after the public comment period, the Office of Administrative Law will decide whether to allow it to become law.
The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment set a public health goal in 2004 of limiting perchlorate levels to 6 parts per billion. The office determined this was a low-risk maximum level for public health - so the choice of this as the limit was not a surprising one.
"It's not outside a reasonable range of regulatory possibilities, and it does seem to include some conservatism," Kevin Mayer, the regional perchlorate coordinator for the Environmental Protection Agency, said.
Mayer said the EPA does not have formal regulatory standards for perchlorate. It does have a reference dose that corresponds to about 20 parts per billion a day for adults from all sources, not just drinking water. Mayer said most perchlorate is consumed with water, but there is also perchlorate in other sources, such as some foods.
Davin Diaz of the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice, said he was not happy with the proposal.
"I believe that the standard for perchlorate should be 1 part per billion,' he said.
He added that when 6 parts per billion was set as the goal in 2004, not as much scientific evidence was available on the dangers of perchlorate.
He also pointed out that Massachusetts recently set a perchlorate limit of 2 parts per billion.
Most local water officials said even if the proposal becomes law, it will not have a significant effect on their operations because they already treat water down to undetectable levels of perchlorate.
"For us, it doesn't make a lot of difference," Anthony Araiza (cm cq), the general manager of the West Valley Water District, said. The West Valley Water District is one of the water providers to Rialto.
Eric Fraser, the director of water for the city of Colton, said this proposal validates Colton's strategy of treating water so that the perchlorate levels are undetectable.
As a person that lives in the area that is effected by the Perchlorate, I agree with the Environmentalists that the limit set is way to high!! this will still give a large amount of people that will be effected with Cancer to the Thyroid Gland and Breast Cancer, and Testicular Cancer, anyone that has a high tendency towards those cancers will have an even higher chance of catching the disease by drinking 6 parts per Billion.
We all know why the limit was set to the 6 parts per Billion and that was because it was a manageable number to reach at a low cost way of getting to that rate. If it was to be any lower it would cost a whole lot more in order to get there, so they set it at 6 parts per billion and say okay everyone that is the safe amount, don't worry, just don't smoke or cook around the water, it just might 'go off'!
This is pathetic, they are not even considering the safety of the public. they are bartering the middle as if it was a car deal!! That is sad to wonder, we now have to purchase water to live on!! Bottled water!!! From Sparklets or that other guy, what is it, Oh yea, I forgot. "Arrowhead Mountain spring water, the one spring that doesn't have Perchlorate". Even thought it is pumped right out of the San Bernardino Mountain's at the foot of the mountains, right by the Disney Mansion! It is hard to say where Sparkles water is pumped from!! There's might be filtered from the tap water her in Rialto for all we know!!
BSRanch!!
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