Senate to Hold Drug Water Hearings

California Democrat stands against ozone decision

(NEWSER) - Count Barbara Boxer among those steamed about President Obama’s decision to ditch the EPA’s proposal for stricter smog standards . The California senator talked to reporters yesterday, and while Politico notes that she was more measured than many environmentalists , she did call for a lawsuit against the president. “I’m not making any charge” that the move was politically motivated, she said. “I’m just saying I disagree, strongly … and I hope they’ll be sued in court and I hope the court can stand by the Clean Air Act.” More»

EPA fails to enforce water safety laws

(NEWSER) - Illegal concentrations of arsenic, radioactive materials like uranium, or bacteria have been found in more than a fifth of American water supplies in the last five years. Regulators were notified of the violations but penalties were imposed in only 6% of cases, according to a New York Times analysis of federal data. Contaminated water supplies affected some 49 million people—in some cases for years. More»

(NEWSER) - The world’s rivers are drying up as climate change worsens and the demand for water increases, the BBC reports. Researchers studying 925 major waterways—from the Ganges to the Colorado—found significantly less fresh water flowing into oceans in 2004 than 50 years earlier. If the trend continues, the growing global population could face shortages—with dire results. More»

(NEWSER) - Federal regulators have consistently looked away as Big Pharma and other manufacturers poured at least 271 million pounds of drugs into waterways that supply US drinking water, the AP reports. Records kept unintentionally by the FDA and EPA show that 22 compounds, some considered dangerous by scientists, have leaked into America's water supply. But drug-makers say they're in compliance with federal laws—and officials agree. More»

Contaminant perchlorate is linked to thyroid problems

(NEWSER) - The EPA has decided not to set limits for a component of rocket fuel that contaminates drinking water, according to an agency document reviewed by the AP. Perchlorate, linked to thyroid problems in pregnant women and babies, enters the water supply through improper disposal by rocket test sites and chemical plants. The EPA denied Pentagon pressure was behind the decision. More»