Tell the EPA: Protect Our Water from Chromium-6
- by: Kailey L.
- recipient: EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy
The chemical that Erin Brockovich made famous in the late 1990s is much more common in American drinking water than previously thought, according to a new study. The analysis shows that chromium-6 contaminates the water supplies of over 200 million Americans. It is found in tap water in all 50 states.
California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment says that even when ingested at very low levels, chromium-6 can cause cancer. Other studies, including one conducted by New Jersey's Drinking Water Quality Institute, agree. From 2013 to 2015, more than 60,000 samples of drinking water were taken across the United States. Researchers found chromium-6 in more than 75 percent of them.
Leaving the chemical unregulated puts tens of thousands of Americans at risk of cancer. It is the EPA's duty to manage the health of our soil, air, and water. Tell the EPA: save lives by setting a national limit on chromium-6.
The chemical that Erin Brockovich made famous in the late 1990s is much more common in American drinking water than previously thought, according to a new study. The analysis shows that chromium-6 contaminates the water supplies of over 200 million Americans. It is found in tap water in all 50 states.
California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment says that even when ingested at very low levels, chromium-6 can cause cancer. Other studies, including one conducted by New Jersey's Drinking Water Quality Institute, agree. From 2013 to 2015, more than 60,000 samples of drinking water were taken across the United States. Researchers found chromium-6 in more than 75 percent of them.
Leaving the chemical unregulated puts tens of thousands of Americans at risk of cancer. It is the EPA's duty to manage the health of our soil, air, and water. Save lives by setting a national limit on chromium-6.
