Felkins ANTHOLOGY and HOTSHEETS *Copyright Madeline L. Felkins 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 All Rights

Senator Boxer Urges State Perchlorate Standards By Roberta Freeman Ventura County Star 09 August, 2003 U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer said Friday she is drafting a letter to the state Environmental Protection Agency to address the issue of perchlorate in Simi Valley groundwater when the agency establishes safe drinking water standards. Those standards are expected by early 2004. While Simi Valley does not use groundwater for drinking supplies, high levels of perchlorate have been detected in groundwater wells in the city and in a well adjacent to Ahmanson Ranch. More recently, perchlorate was detected in surface water in Simi Valley neighborhoods with high water tables. "As they set the standards for drinking water, we will see that they address the issues concerning Simi," Boxer said. Around the state, cities affected by perchlorate are adopting the same safe drinking water standards for groundwater to avoid future liability. Perchlorate, the main ingredient in rocket fuel, and in lesser amounts for ammunition, fireworks and other products, is known to pose serious health risks. It has been linked to thyroid disorders and cancer and can affect physical and mental development in fetuses. Boxer, who has led the federal effort to clean up perchlorate contamination in California communities, announced during a perchlorate conference at the University of California at Riverside on Thursday that the Department of Defense has entered into an agreement with the state of California to abide by state drinking water standards for perchlorate. The agreement promises the Department of Defense will delay compliance until a federal standard is adopted. Federal officials say it could be years before a federal standard is established. "I think we are at the point where we are going to make some progress," Boxer said. She stressed the urgency of cleaning up the contamination to California drinking and irrigation water supplies, which were largely contaminated by Department of Defense activities stretching back to the 1940s. "Time is not on our side. It is tough to have economic development when we are losing our local water supplies," Boxer said. John Paul Woodley Jr., assistant deputy undersecretary of defense for the environment, said the Department of Defense will set up a state task force made up of state agencies such as the Department of Social and Health Services and state Environmental Protection Agency. Woodley said the task force will help the Department of Defense work more effectively with the state. The Department of Defense has been often criticized for holding up cleanup efforts. "We are in that awkward period between the time when a matter is addressed as a public threat and the time when we have all the tools to deal with the matter on a routine basis," Woodley said. Woodley said the Department of Defense will agree to comply with cleanup standards set by the state but noted it was still too early to speculate if the federal government would pick up the tab for the cleanup. U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer's Statement About The Department Of Energy's Decision On Rocketdyne HOTSHEETS 01 April 2003 Washington, DC U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today issued the following statement in response to the Department of Energy's announcement on Rocketdyne. With the release of its final Environmental Assessment for Rocketdyne, the Department of Energy is authorizing the release of a witches' brew of radioactive and chemical contaminants. By its own measure, the Department of Energy's decision could lead to three more people out of every 10,000 getting cancer. By its own measure, the Department of Energy's decision will leave 99 percent of contaminated soil in place to be used for unrestricted use, including residential use. "We need a full and complete cleanup of the former Rocketdyne facility. Since the Department of Energy is not fulfilling its obligation to the community, I will call on EPA Administrator Whitman for a full-scale environmental impact statement, and I will be examining the legislative options to ensure that the cleanup is consistent with the 1995 agreement on site assessments." E-Mail Hon. Senator Barbara Boxer Boxer Introduces Bill To Regulate Perchlorate Toxic chemical in drinking water can cause birth defects and children's developmental problems 03 March, 2003 Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today introduced legislation to protect drinking water from contamination by the toxic chemical perchlorate. Boxer's bill would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a standard for perchlorate contamination in drinking water supplies by July 1, 2004. Under EPA's current schedule, 2006 is the earliest date a standard would be finalized. "Perchlorate is a clear and present danger to California's public health," said Boxer. "We can't wait four more years to address this threat. EPA needs to get moving and protect our drinking water sooner rather than later." Drinking water sources for at least 7 million Californians and millions of other Americans are contaminated with perchlorate. Perchlorate is the main ingredient in missile and rocket fuel, which accounts for 90 percent of its use. Perchlorate is also used for ammunition, fireworks, highway safety flares, air bags, and fertilizers. It dissolves readily in many liquids, including water, and moves easily and quickly through cracks and water. Perchlorate was first discovered in drinking water in 1957. The chemical has been demonstrated to pose a variety of serious health risks relating to thyroid function, especially in newborns, children, and pregnant women. Exposure to perchlorate interferes with the thyroid gland's ability to produce the hormones needed for normal prenatal development. This can cause both physical and mental retardation. Perchlorate is also linked to thyroid cancer. Californians face special threats from perchlorate contamination because so many rockets and missiles were built and tested in the state during World War II and the Cold War. Groundwater can become contaminated wherever the chemical is manufactured, used, disposed of, or stored. Alarming levels of perchlorate have been discovered in Lake Mead and the Colorado River, the drinking water source for millions of Southern Californians. Communities in the Inland Empire, San Gabriel Valley, Santa Clara Valley, and the Sacramento area are also grappling with perchlorate contamination. Back to Hotsheets Legislators Blame Rocketdyne for Perchlorate Toxin Found in Simi Wells