The D.C. Circuit ruled the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can’t withdraw its “regulatory determination” from 2011 to set a standard for perchlorate levels in drinking water;
EPA concluded in 2020 that perchlorate doesn’t appear in enough public water systems, or at high enough levels, to cause concern, and it withdrew its regulatory determination under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) that required it to regulate the chemical;
The chemical is found in rocket fuel, fertilizers, and fireworks and has been associated with thyroid problems and developmental impairments in fetuses;
The Environmental Working Group’s tap water database estimates that perchlorate has been detected by 379 water utilities serving an estimated 12 million people.
