EPA will take another stab at regulating a toxic substance used in rocket fuel, five years after the first Trump administration declined to do so in a decision that sparked a legal fight.
The agency sent a proposed drinking water regulation for perchlorate Thursday to the White House for review. While the proposal’s contents are unclear, it could be a rare instance of the second Trump administration strengthening an environmental standard amid a broad deregulatory push.
The move responds to a court order requiring EPA to propose a nationwide tap water regulation for perchlorate this year. The compound disrupts thyroid health and can harm the developing brains of babies.
It’s not clear exactly how many water supplies contain perchlorate because EPA hasn’t required water utilities to test for it in over a decade. While it occurs naturally in the Southwest, perchlorate has been found in high levels around military bases because of its use in explosives and rockets. Only a handful of states have opted to set their own drinking water limits.
