31 cities, including Tallahassee and Miami, have Chromium 6 in their tap water.

[madfloridian]

From The Florida Independent:

Study finds Tallahassee, Miami tap water contains cancer-causing chromium-6

A report published Monday by the Environmental Working Group concluded that Tallahassee and Miami are among 31 U.S. cities it found to have the carcinogenic chemical chromium-6 present in its municipal tap water. The Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit said it conducted the study in part to encourage the EPA to establish standards for the toxic chemical in drinking water, which is currently unregulated.

From the report:

Despite mounting evidence of the contaminant’s toxic effects, including a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) draft toxicological review that classifies it as “likely to be carcinogenic to humans” when consumed in drinking water, the agency has not set a legal limit for chromium-6 in tap water and does not require water utilities to test for it. Hexavalent chromium is commonly discharged from steel and pulp mills as well as metal-plating and leather-tanning facilities. It can also pollute water through erosion of soil and rock.

According to the report, Tallahassee had the sixth-highest levels of hexavalent chromium (more commonly known as chromium-6), at 1.25 parts per billion, out of 35 cities for which it collected samples. Miami ranked 29th on the list.

This is what Erin Brockovich found when she helped get a settlement for Hinkley, CA where there had been a high rate of cancer.

In 1996, environmental activist and legal clerk Erin Brockovich helped secure a $333 million settlement from Pacific Gas and Electric for residents of Hinkley, Calif., who had been suffering from an unusually high rate of cancer. The company had knowingly polluted municipal tap water with the chromium-6, and the case became the basis for the 2000 Julia Roberts film Erin Brockovich.

Here is more on the report, and a map with the other cities.



EWG report

[emilyg]

1. k

[madfloridian]

2. Really high amount in Norman, OK

12.90

There's a petition at the EWG website. The EPA announced new actions on this after the report.

"Within 72 hours of the release of this report, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson announced new actions to detect chromium-6 contamination in the nation’s drinking water. Sign our thank you petition today!"

Petition here.

http://static.ewg.org/reports/2010/chrome6/html/home.html

[molly77]

3. And the new food safety bill is for the US only.

Our farmers have environmental safeguards while imported food is fertilized with hu manure. That includes Canada.Great job DC.

[bengalherder]

7. I knew a couple from Norman, OK

Due to bizzare childhood illnesses one was grossly obese, the other a midget.

Trufax and I take back and deeply regret any misunderstood prejudice (I was a teenager at the time...) I had concerning their plight. They were great people and the only decent people I ever met in Texas.

edit for crappy spelling...

[sarcasmo]

4. A good filter is you're friend.

[slackmaster]

6. Word. I have a Watts Premiere 5-stage under-sink RO system.

http://www.reverseosmosis.com/products/Pro-Series-5-Stage-Reverse-Osmosis-System.html

The water here doesn't have a problem with CR(VI) or any other heavy metals, but it is very hard and has chlorine and chloramines.

[MissB]

5. I have issues with their methodology. Plus, they screwed up in Bend.

Turns out they identified the wrong water system in Oregon. Unfortunately, it had made the front page news before the error was discovered.

[DesertFlower]

8. i'm in phoenix. we have our own well.

the quality of the water is good, but it's hard water. we have a kineteco water softener and reverse osmosis system.