Contaminated And Unsafe Water Flows Through Communities Across Country
A new research center will study chemicals not yet regulated by the federal government but that have been linked to cancer and other diseases. And News21 releases its investigation that finds as many as 63 million Americans are exposed to unsafe drinking water. In related news, tainted water in a North Carolina river raises questions for state lawmakers.
The Associated Press:
Researchers To Study Chemical Contamination Of US Waters
University of Rhode Island and Harvard University professors are collaborating through a new research center to study chemicals that have contaminated water at sites nationwide. The chemicals, called perfluorinated chemicals, have been linked to cancer and other illnesses but aren’t federally regulated in drinking water. Water has been contaminated near sites of industrial facilities and U.S. military bases. (McDermott, 8/15)
News21:
63 Million Americans Exposed To Unsafe Drinking Water
As many as 63 million people — nearly a fifth of the United States — from rural central California to the boroughs of New York City, were exposed to potentially unsafe water more than once during the past decade, according to a News21 investigation of 680,000 water quality and monitoring violations from the Environmental Protection Agency. The findings highlight how six decades of industrial dumping, farming pollution, and water plant and distribution pipe deterioration have taken a toll on local water systems. (Philip, Sims, Houston and Konieczny, 8/14)
The Oregonian:
Farm Communities Face Contaminated Water From Manure, Nitrates, Records Reveal
Yakima County in Washington state, home to around 67 dairy farms, sits on aquifers contaminated by nitrates. In California's San Joaquin Valley, which grows nearly one-quarter of the nation's food, fertilizer and manure spread on farms' fields and orchards have contributed to unsafe nitrate levels in drinking water sources. The drinking water of millions of Americans living in or near farming communities across the country is contaminated by dangerous amounts of nitrates and coliform bacteria from fertilizer and manure widely used in agriculture, a News21 analysis of Environmental Protection Agency records shows. The records reveal that community water systems serving over 2 million people across the country were cited for excessive nitrate levels. (Wang, Tyau and Ybanez, 8/15)
The Associated Press:
Unhappy With Governor, Senators Plan Hearing On Chemical
Not satisfied with the answers Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration gave to their questions about a chemical plant’s releases into a river, North Carolina Senate Republicans announced Tuesday they’re planning to soon hold a public hearing on the matter. Cooper’s health and environmental quality department secretaries are seeking $2.6 million from legislators to address The Chemours Co.’s discharges of chemical GenX into the Cape Fear River, as well as to expand water quality and safety programs statewide. (8/16)
