United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2007-04-25 monographic deposited born digital 16 p. GA 1.13:GAO-07-797T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-797T P0b002ee18037515d f:d07797t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-797T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-797T GAO-07-797T Contaminants Environmental law Environmental legislation Environmental policies Environmental protection Environmental research Federal regulations Federal/state relations Hazardous substances Health hazards Perchlorates Potable water Soil remediation Standards Water pollution Water pollution control Testimony A68726 Perchlorate has been used for decades by the Department of Defense, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the defense industry in manufacturing, testing, and firing missiles and rockets. Other uses include fireworks, fertilizers, and explosives. Perchlorate is readily dissolved and transported in water and has been found in groundwater, surface water, and soil across the country. Perchlorate emerged as a contaminant of concern because health studies have shown that it can affect the thyroid gland, which helps regulate the body's metabolism, and may cause developmental impairment in fetuses of pregnant women. In 2005, EPA set a reference dose of 24.5 parts per billion (ppb)--the exposure level not expected to cause adverse effect in humans. Today's testimony updates GAO's May 2005 report, Perchlorate: A System to Track Sampling and Cleanup Results is Needed, GAO-05-462. It summarizes GAO's (1) compilation of the extent of perchlorate contamination in the U.S. and (2) review of peer-reviewed studies about perchlorate's health risks. GAO's 2005 report recommended that EPA work to track and monitor perchlorate detections and cleanup efforts. In December 2006, EPA reiterated its disagreement with this recommendation. GAO continues to believe such a system would better inform the public and others about perchlorate's presence in their communities. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-797T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-797T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-797T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-797T.pdf GAO-07-797T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-07-797T Testimony GAO-07-797T; Perchlorate: EPA Does Not Systematically Track Incidents of Contamination; Contaminants Environmental law Environmental legislation Environmental policies Environmental protection Environmental research Federal regulations Federal/state relations Hazardous substances Health hazards Perchlorates Potable water Soil remediation Standards Water pollution Water pollution control