California Tightens Reporting for Rocket Fuel Chemical in Water

摘要

California water regulators on Tuesday cut the level at which water suppliers must report detecting perchlorate, a chemical used in rocket fuel, fireworks, airbags, and other products. The federal Environmental Protection Agency earlier this year declined to regulate perchlorate, which has been linked to thyroid conditions. The unanimous vote from the State Water Resources Control Board is the first step toward tightening California’s drinking water standard, currently set at 6 parts per billion. The chemical has been found in 27 counties throughout California, with the bulk of detections in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties in the southern part of the state. The current detection level is 4 parts per billion. Under the updated rule, water suppliers would have to test for perchlorate in drinking water at 2 parts per billion in 2021, and then 1 part per billion in 2024.