FILE - The San Francisco skyline is visible on April 26, 2023. California regulators adopted a drinking water limit on toxic hexavalent chromium. California regulators voted Wednesday to establish a drinking water limit on hexavalent chromium, a toxic chemical compound made infamous by the movie "Erin Brockovich."
"I know there's mixed feelings about this decision today... that we should be at a lower standard," board member Sean Maguire said before the vote. "But I do want to take a step back and look at California as compared to the rest of the nation, and I think here we are actually leading the way." Some public water providers warned that with the new standard customers will pay more for water and the financial burden will disproportionately fall on disadvantaged communities. And some chemical industry groups have said the limit is not based on the most recent science.The new limit will cost public water systems US$483,446 to $172.6 million annually to monitor and treat water exceeding the standard, according to state water board estimates.
Chromium is naturally occurring in soil, plants, animals, rocks and more, and can leach from soil into groundwater. It comes in various forms, including chromium-6, and is used in electroplating, stainless steel production, leather tanning, textile manufacturing and wood preservation, which all can contribute to drinking water contamination, according to the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.
Some health advocates urged the board to wait to establish a limit until an updated public health goal is released. But some environmental justice nonprofits that favour a lower limit said the board should not wait longer. In 2014, the state adopted a limit of 10 parts per billion but it was overturned in 2017 for failing to consider whether the rule would be economically feasible.
Progress has been made on a new compensation model for family doctors, with the Alberta Medical Association hopeful for a fall rollout.Public Health Ontario workers say the potential closure of six laboratories across the province would be dangerous and increase inequity in northern Ontario.California regulators voted Wednesday to establish a drinking water limit on hexavalent chromium, a toxic chemical compound made infamous by the movie 'Erin Brockovich.