The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was established to protect the quality of
drinking water in the U.S. This law focuses on all waters actually or
potentially designed for drinking use, whether from above ground or underground
sources.
According to a New York Times analysis of federal data, key provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act have been violated by more 20% of the nation's water treatment facilities over the last few years. E.P.A. data shows that Safe Drinking Water Act violations occur in parts of every state.
It is unclear precisely how many American illnesses are linked to contaminated drinking water. Many of the most dangerous contaminants regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act have been tied to diseases like cancer that can take years to develop. But scientific research indicates that as many as 19 million Americans may become ill each year due to just the parasites, viruses and bacteria in drinking water. Certain types of cancer — such as breast and prostate cancer — have risen over the past 30 years, and research indicates they are likely tied to pollutants like those found in drinking water.
Chemical factories, manufacturing plants and other workplaces have violated water pollution laws more than half a million times. The violations range from failing to report emissions to dumping toxins at concentrations regulators say might contribute to cancer, birth defects and other illnesses. The vast majority of those polluters have escaped punishment. State officials have repeatedly ignored obvious illegal dumping, and the Environmental Protection Agency, which can prosecute polluters when states fail to act, has often declined to intervene.
More 80,000 chemicals are used in the U.S. Most have never been tested. Regulation only comes after a substance is proven to cause serious harm. Only a few actually fall under the Safe Drinking Water Act. As an example it took yeras of effort to get Percolate regulated even after science indicated it was a likely to cause cancer.
The evidence is clear, it's time to realize government beauracrats are not going to protect us from Corporate Polluters. If you want pure clean drinking water for yourself and your family you will have to take measures to insure the water from your tap is safe to drink. Water filtration systems that can remove the contaminates from your water are available. Get your water tested. Install a filtration system to remove the contaminates testing finds. Protect your family.
The EPA is stymed at every turn by lobbyist for corporate interest. Millions are spent to keep the EPA rained in. It's now to the point EPA Officials are reticent to proscecute polluters becouse conviction is unlikely. When the EPA requested that nine natural gas drillers disclose which chemicals they use in the fracking process, eight of the companies complied. But oil services giant Halliburton declined, saying that asking for such information was “much like asking Coca-Cola to disclose the formula of Coke.” But Coke isn’t poisoning people’s drinking water. Here’s where things get really infuriating. As you probably already know, Dick Cheney was CEO of Halliburton before taking off with $34,000,000and becoming George W. Bush’s Vice President. In that capacity, Cheney used
his power to successfully lobby for fracking fluids to be exempted from the Clean Water Act. It should come as no surprise that Halliburton is
one of the world’s leading frackers. The so-called “Cheney Loophole” has been
used to great profit for Halliburton and great damage to the health of
countless Americans.
Unfortunately, our fresh water supply is under constant attack with no letup in site. Dangerous chemicals, pharamaceuticlas, roadioactive substances have beed found i n the drinking water of millions of Americans. We can no longer take for granted that the water coming from the tape is safe to drink.
More later..
