Barbara Boxer: “A new contaminant called perchlorate, with potentially serious health risks, has recently been detected in drinking…”

“A new contaminant called perchlorate, with potentially serious health risks, has recently been detected in drinking water in California and Nevada. It is expected to also be found in drinking water in other States. Perchlorate is a chemical component of solid rocket fuel, munitions, and fireworks. The potential source of the drinking water contamination is solid fuel and munitions factories that produce and use large amounts of ammonium perchlorate. According to preliminary research, perchlorate causes the thyroid gland to malfunction by interfering with the gland's ability to use iodine and produce hormones. A malfunctioning thyroid affects the metabolism and therefore interferes with growth and development of humans. New safe drinking water technology to measure perchlorate became available in May 1997. Since then, groundwater wells in the most likely areas in the country have begun to be tested. Perchlorate has so far been detected in 69 drinking water wells in California--out of the 232 tested so far--as well as in the Colorado River and Lake Mead which is the source of water for over 10 million people in California, Nevada, and Arizona. It is expected to be present in drinking water wells in other States. EPA has stated that the contamination is a very serious issue. There is no Federal standard for perchlorate in drinking water.”