EPA proposes weaker water-quality rule (just a little arsenic!)

[NVMojo]

I live in none of these little rural towns that will probably be allowed to finally admit we have arsenic in our water in Nevada! Ha!

WASHINGTON -- The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to allow higher levels of contaminants such as arsenic in the drinking water used by small rural communities, in response to concerns that they cannot afford to comply with recently imposed limits.

The proposal would roll back a rule that went into effect earlier this year and make it permissible for water systems serving 10,000 or fewer residents to have three times the level of contaminants allowed under that regulation.

About 50 million people live in communities that would be affected by the proposed change. In the case of arsenic, the most recent EPA data suggest that as many as 10 million Americans are drinking water that does not meet the new federal standards.

Benjamin Grumbles, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Water, said the agency was trying to satisfy Congress, which instructed EPA in 1996 to take into account the fact that it costs small rural towns more to meet federal drinking water standards.

more...

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/04/02/epa_proposes_weaker_water_quality_rule/

[Dead_Parrot]

1. WTF?

"permissible for water systems serving 10,000 or fewer residents to have three times the level of contaminants allowed"

A new definition of "Fucked up".

[Erika]

2. Money rules

Rural people allowed to be poisoned. No biggy by the GOP.

[NVMojo]

3. ...damn, you hit that on the head alright! We live in a gold mining town

...and we have to ingest our arsenic to make sure foreign mining companies stay profitable while mining on our public lands!

[Dead_Parrot]

4. Look on the bright side...

You've got a relatively thin chance of dying from lung cancer... :)

[rfkrfk]

5. this should be a state issue, EPA needs to butt out . n/t

[TreasonousBastard]

6. IOW--- If you don't have the money to meet the rules...

we're not going to give you the money-- just let you die.

At least you know the rules, and why you're dying. We give you that much.

[shenmue]

7. Isn't the EPA supposed to...

um, protect people?

Arsenic is a deadly...oh, forget it.

Can we just charge the administration with attempted murder of everyone in the state, and get it over with?

:dunce:

[rfkrfk]

8. supposed to... doing so, two different things

we need to get rid of the Keystone Cops.
this is better handled by the states