Florida Regulators OK Plan To Increase Toxins In Water (washingtontimes.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Washington Times: Despite the objection of environmental groups, state environmental regulators voted Tuesday to approve new standards that will increase the amount of cancer-causing toxins allowed in Florida's rivers and streams under a plan the state says will protect more Floridians than current standards. The Environmental Regulation Commission voted 3-2 to approve a proposal that would increase the number of regulated chemicals from 54 to 92 allowed in rivers, streams and other sources of drinking water, news media outlets reported. The Miami Herald reports that under the proposal, acceptable levels of toxins will be increased for more than two dozen known carcinogens and decreased for 13 currently regulated chemicals. State officials back the plan because it places new rules on 39 other chemicals that are not currently regulated. The standards still must be reviewed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, but the Scott administration came under withering criticism for pushing the proposal at this time. That's because there are two vacancies on the commission, including one for a commissioner who is supposed to represent the environmental community.

Comments

Water itself is toxic

[Anonymous Coward]

Water itself is toxic, it is all the dissolved chemicals that make it safe.

Re:missed opportuinity OP

[operagost]

Total garbage clickbait headline. Slashdot becomes even more tone-deaf each day. The headlines are downright political trolls. This one is copied verbatim from the linked article. It's never more obvious that the people who write articles aren't the ones who write the headlines, when you read this:

The Miami Herald (http://hrld.us/29XQXxu ) reports that under the proposal, acceptable levels of toxins will be increased for more than two dozen known carcinogens and decreased for 13 currently regulated chemicals.

I don't know the reason for relaxing the standards for the >24, but the fact that they are being tightened for 13 and many more are being added is important. It sounds like some knowledgable people might be doing their best to balance economics and public health. We hope there is a scientific basis. They could also be giving a corporate handout-- I don't know. Maybe some progressives would be interested in finding out instead of screaming "baby killers" (see the article) when they find out DHMO levels are going up.