Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, today made the following statement regarding the Environmental Protection Agency's announcement that it is re-evaluating the latest science on the danger posed by perchlorate in drinking water. Perchlorate is a toxic component of rocket fuel that contaminates water supplies in at least 35 states, including California, and is particularly dangerous to pregnant women, infants and children. Senator Boxer has been a longstanding proponent of setting a standard for perchlorate in drinking water. The Bush administration failed to regulate perchlorate.
Senator Boxer said: "Perchlorate, a toxic chemical contained in rocket fuel, does not belong in our drinking water, so I am very pleased to see the Obama administration taking the first steps toward protecting our families from this dangerous contaminant. The science has made clear that perchlorate can threaten the health of pregnant women and young children across the nation, and that is why I have consistently worked for strong safeguards to protect people from this toxic chemical."
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