Barbara Boxer: “today Senator Harry Reid and I are introducing a bill for the first time ever will require the Environment Protection…”

“today Senator Harry Reid and I are introducing a bill for the first time ever will require the Environment Protection Agency, EPA, to set a federal standard for chromium 6 in drinking water. The recent movie, ``Erin Brockovich'' made front page news of the substance hexavalent chromium, otherwise known as chromium 6, that until last year had only received attention from the scientific community. But Hinkley, California, the town depicted in the movie, is not the only place where chromium 6 has been found in the drinking water supply. For example, last September, PG&E National Energy Group agreed to close down five unlined wastewater basins and two landfills at its power plants in Massachusetts because they were being sued for dumping waste contaminated with chromium 6 into these basins and landfills, endangering the safety of the groundwater. Over one year ago in Painesville Township, Ohio, large amounts of chromium 6 were removed from a construction site. Workers at the site were replacing 2,000 feet of pipe in the sewer main when they encountered the contaminated water, which was described as ``phosphorescent yellow-green liquid.'' Chromium 6 is a chemical that is used by a variety of industries throughout the country. When improperly disposed of, chromium 6 can contaminate ground water, which is the very same water that many communities use to supply their drinking water.”