House rebuffs Bush on arsenic rules

MONDAY, JULY 30, 2001

By a vote of 218 to 189, the House on Friday voted to reinstate a stricter arsenic in drinking water standard which President Bush had wanted reviewed.

The 10 parts per billion standard had been finalized during the last months of the Clinton administration. It was criticized by the industry and Republican lawmakers who said it was too costly and had no scientific merit.

To assess the rule, the Environmental Protection Agency suspended the rule and began a review. The current standard is 50 ppb, set in 1942.

Arsenic can cause bladder, lung and skin cancer, and may cause liver and kidney cancer, according to a 1999 study conducted by the National Academy of Sciences. The report, however, did not provide a formal risk assessment of arsenic in drinking water.

Even if the Clinton standard is approved, it won't go into effect until 2006.

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House Backs Arsenic Rule (The Washington Post 7/28)