California has proposed an enforceable limit of 6 parts per billion for perchlorate (rocket fuel) in drinking water--four times more stringent than the EPA's waste-site cleanup standard of 24 parts per billion. Currently, Massachusetts is the only state with a mandatory limit--2 ppb for perchlorate in drinking water. Enviro groups in California have been pushing for an even more stringent limit of 1 or 2 parts per billion, but have met resistance from the Pentagon and its contractors. Perchlorate contamination is not limited solely to drinking water. The chemical, which disrupts brain development in fetuses and young children, is widely prevalent in milk, cheese, lettuce and other crops tainted by irrigation water, as well as human breast milk and baby formula. Most perchlorate contamination comes from military bases and aerospace plants. [LA Times] [AP]
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