January 2, 2002—U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Christie Whitman recently confirmed that the arsenic standard in drinking water will be 10 parts per billion (ppb), with a compliance date of 2006. Arsenic is a chemical that occurs naturally in the earth’s crust. When rocks, minerals, and soil erode, they release arsenic into water supplies. Studies have linked long-term exposure of arsenic in drinking water to a variety of cancers in humans.
“Throughout this process, I have made it clear that EPA intends to strengthen the standard for arsenic by substantially lowering the maximum acceptable level from 50 parts per billion (ppb), which has been the lawful limit for nearly half a century,” Whitman wrote in a letter to the conferees on the Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development and Independent Agencies appropriations measure.
“I said in April that we would obtain the necessary scientific and cost review to ensure a standard that fully protects the health of all Americans, we did that, and we are reassured by all of the data that significant reductions are necessary. As required by the Safe Drinking Water Act, a standard of 10 ppb protects public health based on the best available science and ensures that the cost of the standard is achievable,” stated Whitman.
Nearly 97 percent of the water systems affected by this rule are small systems that serve less than 10,000 people each. EPA plans to provide $20 million over the next two years for the research and development of more cost-effective technologies. The Agency also will provide technical assistance and training to operators of small systems, which will reduce their compliance costs, Whitman told conferees. EPA will work with small communities to maximize grants and loans under current State Revolving Fund and Rural Utilities Service programs of the Department of Agriculture. Last year EPA provided more than $600 million in grants and loans to water systems for drinking water compliance.
