“It is highly disturbing to think that the agency charged with protecting our environmental health and safety could be barred from discussing an increasingly prevalent and potentially dangerous chemical contaminate like perchlorate,” said Capps.  “Americans deserve to get information from the scientists who work on their behalf.  President Bush should see to it that this ‘gag order’ is lifted immediately.”

Capps is the sponsor of the Preventing Perchlorate Pollution Act (HR 2123).  Introduced earlier this year, the bill would require the EPA to establish a perchlorate standard by 2004 and enhance community access to information about perchlorate contamination in its water supply.

The text of the letter to President Bush appears below:

The President

The White House

Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We are writing to respectfully express our deep concern with media reports that the Administration has asked U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) scientists and regulators to refrain from commenting on perchlorate.

A recent report from the Environmental Working Group raises serious concerns about perchlorate contamination in food.  According to the report, 18 percent of lettuce samples contained detectable levels of perchlorate, and an average serving of these contaminated samples contained four times more than the EPA says is safe in drinking water.  Further, the study estimated that 1.6 million women of childbearing age are exposed daily during the winter months to more perchlorate than the EPA’s recommended safe dose.

Perchlorate, the explosive component of rocket and missile fuel, can affect the thyroid gland’s ability to make essential hormones.  Also, perchlorate poses a variety of serious health risks relating to thyroid function, especially in newborns, children and pregnant women.  Exposure to perchlorate interferes with the thyroid gland’s ability to produce hormones needed for normal prenatal development.  This can cause both physical and mental retardation.  It has also been linked to thyroid cancer. 

Perchlorate is known or suspected to be a contaminant in hundreds of locations in 43 states.  It has been confirmed in more than 100 drinking water sources in 19 states including Texas, California, Arizona, Nebraska, Iowa, New York, Maryland and Massachusetts.

For years, the EPA has not established a standard for perchlorate to protect the public health.  Now that this chemical has entered the food and drinking water supply, it is critical that we address this situation swiftly.  We cannot exacerbate the problem by ignoring the possible contamination of our food and water.

It is clear that perchlorate poses a severe public health risk and that it has contaminated water sources serving well over 20 million people.  Therefore, we urge you to immediately lift the gag order and allow EPA scientists and regulators to respond to this serious public health threat.

We look forward to your response.

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