Taps Turn Toxic as Clean Water Laws Ignored

Probe finds 500,000 violations of clean water laws in last 5 years

By Mat Probasco, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 13, 2009 5:53 AM CDT

(Newser) – Tap water in a shocking number of American communities is making people ill, rotting teeth, burning skin, and likely causing some cancers and birth defects, reports the New York Times. A lengthy Times investigation found that factories have violated clean water laws half a million times in five years and pumped toxins into groundwater that pours through America's taps. “I don’t think anyone realized how bad things have become,” said Minn. Rep. James Oberstar, whose House committee deals with water-quality issues.

“The Environmental Protection Agency and states have completely dropped the ball,” he said. Fewer than 3% of the law breakers have been fined or otherwise penalized as state officials ignore illegal dumping and the EPA opts not to step in. One in 10 Americans has ingested water that contains dangerous chemicals or fails to meet federal health standards. Last year, 40% of the nation’s community water systems violated the Safe Drinking Water Act at least once.

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The average American household uses almost 100 gallons of water each day, indoors alone. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, file)

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How can we get digital cable and Internet in our homes, but not clean water? - Jennifer Hall-Massay, a West Virginia resident whose son gets scabs from
bathing in their polluted tap water

The EPA and states have completely dropped the ball. Without oversight and enforcement, companies will use our lakes and rivers as dumping grounds—-and that’s exactly what is apparently going on. - Representative James L. Oberstar

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 19 comments

jagerhans

Sep 17, 2009 11:37 AM CDT

also when the Italian state railways passed the same fate going largely private the managers exited with monstrous amounts of money as bonuses while the train society was collapsing under debts. not only, but splitting the ownership of trains from the ownership of railways and introducing further complexity brought in more chaos, so now the inside of the coaches are cleaned (rarely) while the outside never gets a cleaning because... no one is expected to. they are always the same pirates and they brainwashed you into thinking that acting in a different , responsible way is soviet-union-like.

zackmasson

Sep 16, 2009 8:09 AM CDT

Don't forget though if your a political employee or a ceo you can walk away with the profits. Then leave the mess and damages to us common people. How much longer are we going to let these people shit on us and take our money?

jagerhans

Sep 14, 2009 10:42 AM CDT

friends! listen to uns. here in italy when water passed from public control in the hands of (i know some of you think it's a stereotype. ain't.) greedy corporations, the prices multiplied and the service worsened. when they liberalized the home rents, they were increased x 4. every time that some thing passes from social control to free market, it is a major ass fuck for wage earner and common people. don't listen to the sirens. claim public property and public control over water, it is your right. public health care is costly and has its evils but saves your home and life if you are ill and can't pay the costs. don't be scared by this petty socialism, it is for the people.

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Taps Turn Toxic as Clean Water Laws Ignored