EPA: July 2011 | TPMMuckraker

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EPA: July 2011

Water-Regulation-As-Federalism Bill Passes House, Looks A Lot Like ALEC

Zoe Schlanger | July 21, 2011, 9:15AM

After being fast tracked by a House panel and passing the House last week, a bill that would strip fundamental powers of the EPA to regulate water toxins crept closer to a Senate vote.

It bears a striking resemblance to several pieces of "model legislation" recently leaked from The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), and might be the newest testament to the organization's potency.

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Topics: ALEC, EPA, Environment

Chemical Disclosure

Bush Administration, Not Science, Prevented Regulation of Toxin In Drinking Water

Zoe Schlanger | July 13, 2011, 1:15PM

The EPA's controversial 2008 decision not to regulate a drinking water contaminant long connected to impaired brain development and decreased learning capability in infants had more to do with the interests of the Bush administration than with scientific findings regarding its safety, according to a report released Tuesday by a congressional watchdog agency, the LA Times reports.

Perchlorate is a toxin in rocket fuel and fireworks, is present in most states' drinking water, lettuce and milk, and is found in high concentrations near current and former military bases as a byproduct of weapons testing. The E.P.A. currently says it could be contaminating the public wells supplying anywhere from 5 million to 17 million Americans.