NOT THE SHARPEST KNIVES IN THE DRAWER: Rocket (Fuel) Science
According to a new report by the Environmental Protection Agency’s inspector general, the agency failed to follow its own guidelines in evaluating the degree of toxicity of perchlorate, a contaminant in rocket fuel that has been found in significant levels in drinking water in some 400 locations, reports The New York Times:
Perchlorate can occur naturally, but high concentrations have been found near military installations where it was used in testing rockets and missiles.
The new report, issued late Tuesday, said the E.P.A. should not have looked at perchlorate individually, but should have followed its own guidance and examined the cumulative impact of perchlorate, other substances in the environment that inhibit the uptake of iodide by the thyroid and potentially inadequate supplies of iodide in American diets.
While the report criticized the agency’s analytical approach, it did not quarrel with two controversial regulatory actions involving perchlorate: one decision to set a safe dosage level four times greater than California’s, and a second not to require cleanup of perchlorate contamination.
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