EPA Assurances Over Radioactive Rain Prompt Renewed Rollback Fears

摘要

EPA says that levels of radioactive iodine detected in U.S. rainwater following the onset of the nuclear crisis in Japan are not a public health concern even though the detected levels exceed the agency's enforceable drinking water standards, reigniting concerns amongst environmentalists that the agency is looking to relax its regulatory standards. In information posted on its website March 27, EPA says iodine-131 has been detected in rainwater at levels that exceed its maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 3 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) for drinking water. According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, iodine-131 has been detected in the state's rainwater at concentrations of 79 pCi/L, which an environmentalist notes is about 26 times greater than EPA's enforceable maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 3 pCi/L.