Ruppersberger Urges the EPA to Set National Drinking Water Standard For Perchlorate
So Clean Up Can Begin at APG

(Washington, D.C.)-  Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) is urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set a national drinking water standard for perchlorate so clean up can begin at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG).

Perchlorate is an ingredient found in rocket fuel and explosives. It has been detected at trace levels in four public drinking wells near Aberdeen over the past five years. The City of Aberdeen, Maryland temporarily closed the wells and installed filters. It is believed that the perchlorate seeped into the ground and into the water supply as a result of years of artillery testing at APG. Experts believe perchlorate can cause thyroid problems in children and adults.

The Army says it can not pay for the cleanup of the perchlorate at APG until the EPA issues guidelines about the health risks of perchlorate and sets a national standard for how much is safe to drink. The highest level found in the groundwater at APG has been about 23 parts per billion.

Congressman Ruppersberger sent a letter to the EPA asking it to move forward and set a national drinking water standard for perchlorate so the clean up at APG can begin.

"We have to make sure that we put the safe drinking water needs of our citizens first... I strongly recommend that the EPA expeditiously establish a national drinking water standard for perchlorate. Our country needs a national standard in order to expedite cleanup efforts at sites across the country and to ensure safe drinking water for the residents of Harford County and for all Americans," wrote Congressman Ruppersberger.

The EPA recently established a safe exposure level of 24.5 parts per billion in drinking water. Congressman Ruppersberger believes this is a step in the right direction but the EPA needs to establish a national drinking water standard quickly.

Read the Congressman's Letter to the EPA

See also: Perchlorate Information from the EPA, Perchlorate and Drinking Water

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