The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it will not establish safety standards for 11 contaminants in drinking water. Environmental Working Group¹s Vice President for Research, Jane Houlihan, issued the following statement.

"It¹s outrageous that EPA continues to allow public exposure to potentially harmful chemicals. Our analysis of nationwide tap water found almost 100 percent compliance with enforceable health standards on the part of the nation's water utilities. The problem, however, is EPA's failure to establish enforceable health standards and monitoring requirements for scores of widespread tap water contaminants.

Our analysis clearly demonstrates the need for greater protection of the nation's tap water supplies, and for increased health protections from a number of pollutants that are commonly found but currently unregulated. Utilities routinely go beyond what is required to protect consumers from these contaminants, but they need more money for testing, and for protection of vital source waters."

Environmental Working Group¹s analysis of tap water in 42 states is available online at http://www.ewg.org/sites/tapwater/findings.php

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EWG is a nonprofit research organization based in Washington, DC that uses the power of information to protect human health and the environment