Lawyer Sanders says EPA to pass on regulating 11 contaminant candidates under Safe Drinking Water Act.

U.S. EPA currently regulates more than 90 contaminants in our public drinking water supply. The Safe Drinking Water Act (“SDWA”) includes a process that EPA must follow to identify and list unregulated contaminants which may also require regulation. By law, EPA must periodically publish a list of new list of potential contaminants and decide whether to regulate them under the SDWA. This list is called the Contaminant Candidate List (“CCL”). If EPA selects a contaminant from the CCL, EPA will publish a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation to control the contaminant in our public drinking water supply.

EPA published its second CCL (CCL 2) in 2005. In May 2007, EPA published a Federal Register notice announcing and requesting comment on its preliminary determinations for 11 of the 51 CCL 2 contaminants. This month, EPA announced its final determination not to regulate 11 contaminants on the second drinking water contaminant candidate list (CCL 2).
EPA concluded that these 11 contaminants do not occur nationally in public water systems, or occur at levels below a public health concern.

The 11 contaminants include naturally occurring substances, pesticides, herbicides, and chemicals used (or once used) in manufacturing. While none of the contaminants were found nationally at levels of public health concern in public water systems, EPA is updating health advisories for seven of the contaminants to provide current health information to local officials for situations where the contaminants are present.

After a lot of review and study, here is what EPA decided for the 11 potential candidates. EPA is updating health advisories for boron; dacthal mono- and di-acid degradates;1,3-dichloropropene (Telone); 2,4-dinitrotoluene, and 2,6-dinitrotoluene; and 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane.

EPA has determined that updated or new health advisories are not needed for 1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl) ethylene (DDE); s-ethyl propyl thiocarbamate (EPTC); Fonofos; and Terbacil because the national monitoring data showed almost no occurrence at levels of public health concern.
For more information go to: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/ccl/reg_determine2.html.