Legislation would give board more authority to set drinking
water standard
San Martin – A new federal report on perchlorate criticizes the U.S. Department of Defense for avoiding testing for the contaminant unless specifically required by law.
In the report, published by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, federal and state environmental officials say that “private industry and public water suppliers have generally complied with regulations requiring sampling for contaminants and agency requests to sample or cleanup perchlorate.”
The defense department, however, “has been reluctant to sample on or near active installations.”
The GAO report recommends a formal system to track and monitor perchlorate contamination and cleanup efforts across the country, a suggestion rejected by both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the defense department.
“The report mischaracterizes DOD’s response to perchlorate, a chemical which is unregulated by the federal government and for which no state has promulgated standards,” said Philip W. Grone, a Defense Department assistant deputy undersecretary for environmental issues. Grone said the Pentagon has tested at 800 sites and spent more than $40 million to develop cleanup techniques.
In local perchlorate news, Assemblyman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, has amended legislation he introduced earlier this year to give the Central Coast Regional Water Resources Control Board more authority to set a replacement standard for drinking water contaminated by perchlorate.
The legislation is in response to a recent state water board decision that the regional board “abused its discretion” by ordering the Olin Corp. to provide bottled water to San Martin residents who get their water from wells that test below the state’s public health goal for perchlorate of 6 parts per billion.
If approved, the bill would clarify the water code to allow a regional board to set an appropriate standard.
Sylvia Hamilton, president of the Perchlorate Community Advisory Group, said she’s appreciative of the work done by Assemblyman Laird.
“I believe he epitomizes what an elected official should be. He’s responsive, he listens to his constituents, and acts in their best interest,” Hamilton said Friday. “I think the intent of the water code is very clear, and in my view, it gives the regional board the authority to be flexible. Folks that are closer to the community and have a better understanding of what the needs are have a better understanding of what needs to be done.”
Laird aide Craig O’Donnell said that procedural hurdles may prevent AB 1421 from getting a final hearing this year. All legislation must be approved and forwarded to the governor’s office by early September.
Another bill, SB 187, that would force state environmental officials to review the public health goal whenever new information about perchlorate becomes available has passed the Senate and will be heard in the Assembly sometime this summer.
