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Guest Commentary: April 27, 2001
100 Days War on the Environment
The Honorable Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
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This Sunday marks President Bush's 100th day in office. He may be celebrating, but for Americans who care about protecting public health and the environment, this is no celebration. To me it is more like the 100 Days War on the environment.
For example, the President has pushed for drilling in our nation's wildlife refuges – walked away from a promise to curb global warming and stopped efforts to protect our forests from roads.
But the decision to repeal a new arsenic standard tops them all. Why? Because we know that arsenic is unsafe at any level. We know that it can cause all kinds of cancer. Lung cancer, skin cancer, and bladder cancer. We know that if you drink water at the current standard that you have a 1 in 100 chance of developing cancer. Let me repeat: 1 in 100.
But the President has ignored the science and delayed this standard. He has put the polluters' interests above the interests of millions of Americans who have high levels of arsenic in their water.
The regulation he suspended also ensured that communities would have to be informed if the level of arsenic was 5 or more parts per billion. So first the President has stopped a lower standard from going into effect, and then he stopped our people from knowing how much arsenic is in their water.
Today, we are announcing a series of steps we are taking to combat this outrageous situation.
First, I am sending a letter with several of my colleagues, informing EPA Administrator Christie Todd Whitman that she is breaking the law by failing to set a new standard for arsenic by June 22 of this year. Congress was clear about that when it passed Public Law 106-377.
If the Bush Administration doesn't issue a new standard, then I am announcing that the Natural Resources Defense Council intends to sue to ensure this deadline. If this action becomes necessary, I intend to support the NRDC every step of the way and Senators will be filing an amicus brief.
In addition to the bills that have already been introduced requiring the repealed standard to become law (Senators Nelson and Dodd have these bills), today, I am introducing a bill, along with several of my colleagues, requiring that communities be informed if the level of arsenic in their water exceeds five parts per billion.
If President Bush is not going to give people clean, healthy water to drink, then at the minimum, families should have the right to know if poison is in the water flowing from their taps.
Note: Sen. Boxer originally issued this statement on April 26, 2001.
 How to contact Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-California)
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